S02.E10: The Gamble

[formerlyfreedom]

Quote

The final four contend with mental fatigue and physical exhaustion. As one participant faces stiff competition for fish, another may miss the salmon run due to a potentially disastrous miscalculation.

[qtpye]

Oh crap...that has to be Jose who misses the salmon run, since he is the only one who talks about it (and built a boat specifically for the run).  We might finally see how Jose handles failure.

[SRTouch]

35 minutes ago, qtpye said:

Oh crap...that has to be Jose who misses the salmon run, since he is the only one who talks about it (and built a boat specifically for the run).  We might finally see how Jose handles failure.

Or he is dunked for real, the canoe ruined, and as he struggles ashore that wolf/dog/whatever attacks him.

[riverheightsnancy]

1 hour ago, SRTouch said:

Or he is dunked for real, the canoe ruined, and as he struggles ashore that wolf/dog/whatever attacks him.

Oh noes! I predict that he will use his medieval fighting techniques to slay the marauding invader, or wolf whisper to him and tame him like Caesar Milan. OR just shrug his shoulders and pray really hard that a full boat will wind up on the shore. 

[qtpye]

He will bend a knee and greet his wolf brother...then they will partake in the great hunt.

It's like we are writing fan fiction about Jose's amazing skills, because the show has refused to show us anything besides him building that dang boat.

[MostlyContent]

I really loved this episode!  :)

"Makin' fun of Lucas is wrong, This is my limpet song" made me honestly laugh out loud.  Okay, finally, David is growing on me a little bit.  Even through his comedy of errors, he didn't get too morose.  He mentioned leaving if he couldn't get warm, but it seemed rather off-hand.  

Bad luck with Nichole and the seals.  It would be so disappointing to *see* a fish swim into the net and then have it be swiped by an opportunist.  The nerve.  

When Larry was grousing about boredom, I said to my husband, "Why in the heck doesn't he make something" right before he started his spoon.  

Again, the contrasts are hilarious.  Larry and his clunky spoon vs Jose and his graceful jig (made to be 'beautiful' and 'animal like').   I really love watching that sort of stuff.  

So happy that Jose caught a fish after his discovery that he missed the salmon run.   It was great seeing him explain that he did exactly what he tells his students not to do, become fixated on what one wants to do in contrast to what the land is offering.  

I still find Larry's ups and downs pretty disturbing, and wouldn't want to be around the guy, personally.  David, on the other hand is becoming much less creepy.  :)

[riverheightsnancy]

I think that they are leading up to a Larry tap-out. Wow, they are at day 50+. That is 4 who made it to day 50. Impressive.  I agree that David was quite funny tonight and his Lucas song was funny. I also liked his discussion of something else, but I cannot remember what it was. It seems that food has become a serious issue for all of them, and the weather had now turned. Seems that Jose did miss the run and at least he could admit that his achilles' heel is being too overly fixated on a single method. At least he realizes it and is making adjustments. Nicole's walk caused a lot of tension for me. When she started talking about cougar's, I have expected one to jump out. 

[raven]

When Jose said his boat was leaking I was thinking "nooo not more time on the boat" whew, thankfully he got that fixed and could move on to other stuff.  The fishing jig was great! 

Seals are cute as all get out but not so much when they're ripping your net and taking your catch. 

David lost his fishing line so I don't know what's next for him.  I thought for sure we were getting either a David or Larry tap this ep and am glad we didn't.  Larry looks so much skinnier then everyone else. Hang in there Larry!  I also liked David's "Lucas/limpet" song.  David has sort of a goofy sense of humor (like with the lightsaber last week) that I can relate to.   He seemed to be on an upswing and then got wet, lost his line.....I hope he makes another comeback next week.

Lots of talk about boredom, I guess everyone is satisfied with their camp, no one is making repairs or improvements.  Jose seems to have an edge (besides his whole zen mentality) in that he spent so much time on his kayak that now besides spending time exploring he can turn his mind to other things that the other contestants have already dealt with.  So they may be getting bored but he's still finding/making things to do.  Well Nicole doesn't talk about boredom but getting protein is her big challenge, she doesn't seem as concerned with activities as the others.

So glad we got everyone this week!

Quote

Nicole's walk caused a lot of tension for me. When she started talking about cougar's, I have expected one to jump out. 

ETA I know how could I forget about this?  I know she has a lot of big predator experience and isn't reckless but if food is getting scarce - well, I was concerned.   At least we didn't get any silly producer faux dramatic moments.  The walk was real drama, no editing needed.

David's mini-rant about Canadian bald eagles was the other funny item I think. 

Edited July 1, 2016 by raven

[MostlyContent]

7 minutes ago, riverheightsnancy said:

When she started talking about cougar's, I have expected one to jump out. 

Her spidey senses were definitely tingling, that's for sure!  

Was it David talking about catching crabs on the shore of NJ when he was a kid what you're thinking about, rhn?  I found that interesting, too! 

[MostlyContent]

7 minutes ago, raven said:

David's mini-rant about Canadian bald eagles was the other funny item I think. 

Oh, that was so funny!   I forgot about that!

[riverheightsnancy]

9 minutes ago, MostlyContent said:

Her spidey senses were definitely tingling, that's for sure!  

Was it David talking about catching crabs on the shore of NJ when he was a kid what you're thinking about, rhn?  I found that interesting, too! 

He said something I found funny, after the song about Lucas, I just can't remember what it was. I did like his mention of Point Pleasant in NJ. I am in NJ and have friends that have a home there in PP. 

ETA: YES, the difference between the Canadian Eagles and the American Eagles, I thought that was really quite funny. 

Edited July 1, 2016 by riverheightsnancy

[SRTouch]

Good episode tonight. Jose getting beeped when he discovered the hole in the kayak kind of surprised me. Ah well, after all that work getting upset was understanable. Too bad he was late getting to the salmon, but he seemed to bounce back and hopefully will get good use of the kayak there in the cove. Course, the next problem will be the coming stormy season.

Not surprising that the seals discovered Nicole's net. Seems the salmon run may be coming to an end, anyway. Now that winter is coming, she may be in for some hungry times.

Ah, the ups and downs of Larry. He's struggling mentally now - and would be gone if he was one of those "in it the the experience" guys. Maybe he'll snap out of it, but I expect him to tap early next week. Yes, Mostlycontent, quite a contrast between Jose striving to create beauty and functionality in his jig and Larry's spoon. I agree, if boredom is becoming such an issue why isn't he doing something. Doesn't need to be something physically like Justin working out at his gym, just create simple things like Mike was doing, or just sit around and whittle.

I agree with everyone saying David is getting a lot more fun to watch. Silly songs, Canadian vs US eagle comparison, even crabbing stories from NJ, he was the star tonight. Guess he just needed that boost from the crab dinner. When I saw him crabbing with his spool of line I almost expected him to loose it. Really shouldn't be too disastrous with all the cordage he's been finding. Couple of silly mistakes, but that could be the cumulative effect of hunger.

Everybody is getting skinny now, and winter arrives next week. Those shelters that we've been asking to see will be increasingly important when the wind, rain and cold arrive. Can't help but remember Alan say an advantage of his small cave was that it was easier to heat. Nicole's shelter seems kind of big, but at least it looks insulated. Larry, though, he may want to add some brush to his tarp walls for insulation. Previews show Jose with a hig pot of shell fish - how long does that red tide poison them I wonder? Time will tell...

[seasick]

Someone mentioned this before, but I hope David makes a crab trap or two.  I'm at the Jersey shore too so enjoyed references to Point Pleasant and catching blue-claw crabs with a line.  

If his entire spool went in (did it?) he should have gone in after it.  He was already wet. 

7 hours ago, qtpye said:

 

It's like we are writing fan fiction about Jose's amazing skills, because the show has refused to show us anything besides him building that dang boat.

Seriously!    Seriously annoying and frustrating.

Jose LOVES woodworking to the detriment of anything else it seems.  I'll bet his shelter was thrown together in no time so that he could start on his fire-blower and then his boat.  That little overhung tarp they showed in the background is Jose's 'shelter"  I'm almost sure.  I hope they don't continue to avoid showing it.  I appreciate his admission that he can be headstrong or hyper-focused and end up tuning out to nature, but as humble as he knows he must be,  there is an arrogance in his refusal to just throw together a utilitarian item 'for now' on woodwork projects.  His Pride in his Ability may be his downfall.

Jose seems to have a "wilderness living" state of mind when in fact he is still at "survival '  level.  I'm not saying he cannot get there but I don't think he's secure enough with food, shelter. warmth etc that he can leisurely whittle little animals into his jig.  I 'get' what he's saying about these little 'luxuries' providing an emotional boost but I would suggest doing that at the campfire After you catch some fish.   (seriously--did you learn nothing from the boat indulgence?)  

His 'gamble' on the red-tide mussels shocks me.  I hope somehow it's an edit game.  Otherwise it looks to me as though he's letting fate determine if he's going to tap.  Not voluntarily of course--but due to (avoidable) illness.  

Couldn't Nicole have harvested some greens and 'dried" them--like people do with herbs? I don't know the answer there but it seems like it would be worth a shot to preserve something for after the frost.  

Btw..I saw Jose's "dock"!  

[Snarklepuss]

I was seriously impressed with Jose's ability to overcome the leaky boat plus having missed the salmon run yet still have a fall back fishing plan.  But why did he spend so much time making that freaking boat to miss the salmon run and now be faced with weather changes?  30 days to make a boat when he arguably doesn't have THAT much else to do?  Now onto day what and we don't see him do anything with it except go out a couple of times?  I don't get this show.  They're really not showing us stuff they should show us.  Come to think of it, I don't think they've ever really shown Jose eating anything.  Or catching anything and eating it on camera.  Or even TALKING about what he's eaten.  WTF has he survived on all this time?  Limpets?  I blame the show for this.

I certainly hope David dries out and doesn't tap out.  I don't get the feeling he will yet, though.  Larry has started to worry me with all the talking about being bored.  That's the first sign.  Plus he's gotten really skinny.  He still seems determined, though.  We'll see how that goes as the weather changes.

Nicole, where's her judgment?  I don't know, I'm thinking the lack of food is making her quirkier and less level headed.  She admitted to feeling light headed, which is not a good sign.  She's starting to look a little worse for wear.  Even considering scavenging the seals' and bears' leftovers was a little out there for me.

Edited July 1, 2016 by Snarklepuss

[candall]

Good episode, lots of tension.

Jose didn't waste any time feeling sorry for himself when he finally reached the promised land and there were only bones left.  I thought he was pretty awesome admitting he'd been too single-minded with his master plan, trying to impose his own agenda onto nature.

But at the same time, I have to question his continued dedication to aesthetic, over and above function.  When you're at the point of hoarding energy calories, the fish aren't going to hit your beautifully carved Inupiat rig any harder than a strictly utilitarian model.  It makes me wonder how many passing salmon were lost in service to technically unnecessary details in his boat design.  20+ days?  As they say in GoT:  Winter is coming.

*****************

I admired Nicole for her decision to scavenge bear scraps.  I'd eat bear leftovers if I could find any fresh enough to pass the smell test.  I wouldn't be thrilled about the fly larvae, but bear spit wouldn't slow me down for a second.  (I wouldn't have taken a chance on the quasi-pet duck who died of mysterious causes, though.)

The very best part of that venture was Nicole LISTENING to her inner "Danger!" voice.  She'll probably never get mugged by the man for whom she held the elevator door, either.  The Gift of Fear--it's a thing.  And a great book.

Seriously, why aren't they all wearing big eyeballs on the backs of their heads?  Is that stupid?  I thought it was Season One genius--or at the very least, couldn't hurt.

Good call, @seasick, that Nicole should have sheaves of dried edible plants strung up.  I know that hay retains nutrients because it's harvested green and fresh, while straw does not.  Winter: coming.

*************************

Okay, Larry, you could have roughed out a pawn for your souvenir VI chess set in the time it took you to tick. . . . . . . . . . .tock at me.  And you think a ten-day wood supply is excessive?  Winter, FFS!

[fountain]

I was happy Jose swore when he found the hole as he seemed too mellow up to this point and getting upset or angry seems more real to me.  I personally feel that is more the real him and anythime he wanted to be pissed before he turned off the camera.  

They are all starting to hit some struggles with food. Most seemed like they are nearing the end of their tolerance.

[Ocean Chick]

A very enjoyable episode, for all the reasons noted above.  Loved David's "Lucas" song and his mini-rant on those upstart Canadian bald eagles.  Loved Nicole having the sense to depart from an area that made her uneasy - if you feel like something is watching you in those woods, something IS watching you in those woods.  Loved Jose finally using his plan B, and deep water fishing from his boat, since he missed the salmon run.  Glad he realized how foolish he was to try to boss Mother Nature about.  That jig looked just like the ones the Hailstones use on "Below Zero".  And finally Effen Larry.  Larry, if you're bored, try creating things like that running water fish cleaning station that Mike had.  Or the gym that Justin put together.  Figure out how to build a better mousetrap.  Build a boat.  Make up a game.  Sing silly songs.  There's lots to do.

[cooksdelight]

Jose irritates the hell out of me. I was yelling at him last night "Stay on shore and conserve your energy, the salmon are loooooooong gone!!" Which he should have known if he's that smart. I don't think he is. He's certainly not giving us any footage to watch, since it's all on him to share his daily activities.

I have to keep reminding myself that Nicole has MS when I see her, as she's amazing, to me.

[ClareWalks]

Jose was starting to drive me nuts. I think it's just because he really wasn't giving us much to watch, whether that's the editing or not. He was so fixated on this damn kayak and making it PERFECT (dude, relax, seriously) that it was getting boring and tedious. And it was frustrating me because I feel like he is by far the most skilled person there and I would have LOVED to see him making and doing a bunch of things, and he was just on a one-track mindset. I hope he takes his words to heart and works with the environment more instead of running his own agenda. It'll be more fun to watch.

David dropping his line in the water...sigh. I like him more now, but dude, stop making stupid mistakes. 

Nicole is a goddess. I am worried about her long-term food prospects, with winter coming and the predators competing with her. But her attitude is still insanely positive. Contrast with...

Fucking Larry. It's just a countdown until he leaves at this point. He is hating every second of this.

[cooksdelight]

I know why David's divorced. I divorced a David, and he was as clueless as this one where some things are concerned. I didn't know that in the beginning, but you know how eventually you see things in people you didn't see at first? Sort of like how this show works. I liked Jose at first. Now I want him gone. I couldn't stand Larry. Now I can't wait to see what he'll say or do next. Weird.

[seasick]

Snarklepuss I agree except for scavenging the bears' leftovers.  When there is a glut of salmon as with a salmon run, bears are known to simply rip out the belly for the roe and discard the rest.  There would likely be a lot left over and available if it's fresh.  (quotes aren't cooperating with me today. they arrive mangled in with each other and my comments)  Ocean Chick and Candall  I hear you on Larry's boredom complaints! He thinks he's done enough to get by and now he doesn't *want* to do anything else.  Larry if you're committed to staying then find something to stay busy I agree--there's tons of things to try to do.   And 10 days of wood??  and I'm thinking that's likely 10 days of cooking/evening campfire wood--not freezing-cold-all-day 10 days.   And from what I understand those who winter over in the bush spend every spare moment in good weather chopping wood for the winter.  You can never have too much wood.

[rainsmom]

Especially since once the rain hits, all the wood will be wet.

[riverheightsnancy]

I still find Jose very compelling. One thing of note is that he reveals very little about his internal angst compared to the others. I mean we had LARRY crying in this episode for God's sake! Jose says one swear and a small admission of his fixation on perfection. He doesn't disclose too much about his personal thinking. Whether that is by design (for privacy) or that is the way he is, it is different than most of the other contestants. That could be why we saw less of him in the beginning because he was very focused on filming day-to-day things but they weren't self-disclosing, therefore not as compelling to view. Any guesses on how long they might be there and how many episodes we have left? They jumped a lot of days last night when showing Larry. What was it 5 days of jumps? 

I will say that the winner goes for 83 days. 

[ClareWalks]

I think they jumped 12 days, I could have sworn Larry took us from day 38 to 50. That is amazing compared to last season.

[mlp]

I'm thinking Nicole may be the next to tap out.  She's upbeat and very knowledgeable but she hasn't faced any serious hardship yet (that we've been shown) yet she looks absolutely haggard.  I can't help wondering if her health problems are catching up to her.  OTOH  Larry seems to be saying all the things that lead to tapping out so I could easily be wrong.

I'm still pulling for David.  He doesn't look or talk like a tough guy but he's got grit and determination.  I like him.

[pagooey]

Maybe Larry's only thinking in 10-days-ahead increments because they're all nearing the S1 victory point. They're at what, day 50? I know I would be thinking of Alan, and/or willing the production team to come get me, come get me, come hand me the check, any day now, any minute now, come get me...

My sis and I have been singing Lucas's Two-Note Song since last season, but somehow it never occurred to us that it is infinitely adaptable! :) Like others have said, David's growing on me too. He might as well have gone completely in after his entire spool of line, but I suspect that he was shocked enough by the slip and the cold water that his first instinct was just to get the hell out. 

I can't decide what to make of Jose. He does beautiful work...but he obsesses over it to his own detriment. That sleek, elegant jig, juxtaposed with F*ckin' Larry's Splinter McShovelSpoon, made me giggle. Meanwhile, I haven't camped since Girl Scouts in the early 80s, but even I predicted that the salmon run would be long past. Hell, I also knew because I have watched any narrative television program, ever, before. Jose was telegraphing this mishap from the get-go.

Nicole's getting a little loopy; I'm worried for her. Seals are adorable, but they are also definitely fat salmon-stealing bastards. 

[Quilt Fairy]

25 minutes ago, riverheightsnancy said:

Any guesses on how long they might be there and how many episodes we have left?

Three episodes left, which should equate to 1 tap-out in each show. They have been playing around with that, though.

[Snarklepuss]

1 hour ago, mlp said:

I'm thinking Nicole may be the next to tap out.  She's upbeat and very knowledgeable but she hasn't faced any serious hardship yet (that we've been shown) yet she looks absolutely haggard.  I can't help wondering if her health problems are catching up to her.  OTOH  Larry seems to be saying all the things that lead to tapping out so I could easily be wrong.

I'm still pulling for David.  He doesn't look or talk like a tough guy but he's got grit and determination.  I like him.

ITA with everything you said!  I'm worried about Nicole and worry the same thing about her health.  It doesn't make me think she's going to last much longer.  Plus Larry is falling into the classic boredom pattern preceding tap outs.  José has turned out to be a bit of a disappointment so he's not the sure bet I once thought he was.  With three episodes left it's hard to say how much time they each will last when this episode was able to gloss over several days.  We were in the 30s last week, now suddenly at 50.  It sounds like the 50s are the limit for most of the die-hards so perhaps they rushed us up to that point because now is when they will start calling it quits.  I agree with you about David's determination being admirable.  I've been a fan of his for several weeks now and rooting for him even more as time goes on.  It's making me realize all the more that survival is sometimes as much in the mind as anything else.  Determination can make a person achieve things they otherwise wouldn't be able to do.

[Joan Z]

I bet Nicole regret letting that salmon go on the other episode. While the rest of the guys have went through the starvation process and lost a lot of weight, Nicole has been eating well. Well, it looks like her starvation process has just begun. But that woman is so darn skinny, she barely have any fat and muscle to burn! I'm worried about her. It's frustrating to see that she's so living in the moment instead of think ahead and conserve food for winter. 

I wonder if they (except Jose) had the expectation that this season will end around the same days as last season? Now they're in day 50. The crew went to get Alan on day 56 so maybe they're expecting the crew will come and get em soon. 

Jeez there are 3 more episodes?! Just tell me the winner already! I usually love when my favorite shows added more episodes than the previous season but for some reason, this season feels like forever. Like larry said, tik.............tok................ 

[Joan Z]

20 hours ago, seasick said:

Btw..I saw Jose's "dock"!  

I saw it too! 

I agree with you. Jose think he is living when he is still in survival mode. I still don't mind him and his woodwork though 

[Joan Z]

19 hours ago, Snarklepuss said:

I was seriously impressed with Jose's ability to overcome the leaky boat plus having missed the salmon run yet still have a fall back fishing plan.  But why did he spend so much time making that freaking boat to miss the salmon run and now be faced with weather changes?  30 days to make a boat when he arguably doesn't have THAT much else to do?  Now onto day what and we don't see him do anything with it except go out a couple of times?  I don't get this show.  They're really not showing us stuff they should show us.  Come to think of it, I don't think they've ever really shown Jose eating anything.  Or catching anything and eating it on camera.  Or even TALKING about what he's eaten.  WTF has he survived on all this time?  Limpets?  I blame the show for this.

There's an extended scene on YouTube of jose gathering some sea snails. For some reason they didn't show it on the show. And last week they showed for few seconds he caught a couple of fish but he didn't comment on it or maybe he did but it was edited out. So it's not like he's not filming anything other than the boat. He either filmed very little of it or the producers just want to focus on the freakin boat. I think last week he said he have 10 fishing lines out. 

Larry is definitely getting the leading-up-to-tap-out edit this week. 

Edited July 2, 2016 by Joan Z

[seasick]

Predictions...hmm.    I think Larry will get a second wind and keep on going for awhile.  It usually takes him time to face his misery and do something about it. I think he will rally and maybe make one of those big wooden fork and spoon sets that you hang on your kitchen wall (ala 1960) for his wife. lol

I also think Nicole will tap next.  I think she will decide starvation is too big of a risk for her health.

I'm fed up with Jose and the edits.  I hope he taps out.  I'm done with the one-trick pony edit at the omission of all other elements of his time there.  The red-tide mussels and "life is a gamble" justification is so anti-survival that it finished me. If you are willing to risk to your health and the challenge on that then just tap the hell out.  

Number of days?  I'll go with 66.   I think either David or Larry will win, although I can't forsee Jose tapping out; but at this point I just hope he does.

[MostlyContent]

I'll guess 75 days, for no particular reason.  :)  

I am a bit worried about Nicole's MS now.  

Still pulling for Jose to win, but honestly I really don't have any strong feelings about how this is going to pan out.  

[Addicted]

My predictions:

Nicole and Larry will tap out soon.

Nicole has had it easier than the others until recently, now we will see the real Nicole and Larry is just looking for a reason to tap.

If David makes through the night without freezing, he could go all the way.

I'm not sure about Jose, they don't show enough of him, but if he eats those shell fish, it could be the end of his journey.

[LittleIggy]

That was one ugly fish Jose caught!

[Quilt Fairy]

I thought it was beautiful!

[riverheightsnancy]

7 hours ago, Quilt Fairy said:

I thought it was beautiful!

It's definitely beeyooteeful when you are starving! What kind of fish was it? 

[Quilt Fairy]

I believe it was a cabezon, and now that I've seen it close up, I concede you the point.

[candall]

On ‎7‎/‎1‎/‎2016 at 2:02 PM, riverheightsnancy said:

I still find Jose very compelling. One thing of note is that he reveals very little about his internal angst compared to the others. I mean we had LARRY crying in this episode for God's sake! Jose says one swear and a small admission of his fixation on perfection. He doesn't disclose too much about his personal thinking. Whether that is by design (for privacy) or that is the way he is, it is different than most of the other contestants.  

I will say that the winner goes for 83 days. 

The Editing of Jose is this season's big mystery.  Since he makes all those videos, he must be comfortable speaking to a camera.  Is it possible they trimmed his sections way back because he was so much more adept at the wilderness stuff than anyone else?  I'd fast-forward all those other jokers if Baryshnikov were a contestant on DWTS.

************ 

I had a good friend, a long time ago, who was being scrutinized by the NIH because he and his sister were diagnosed with MS at the same time--rare, because there's no genetic component.  They were told that avoiding stress was crucial, so he took that as his cue to swath himself in an extremely pampered lifestyle, while the sister refused to "give in" to any personal or professional changes.  Her symptoms progressed much more rapidly than his. 

I don't know anything about current protocols, but now I'm sort of freaked out about Nicole.  Surround yourself with bunnies, sweetheart, not bears.

*************

Originally, I allotted them three extra weeks of gumption for the early start with the better weather, but I don't think that will pan out in the long run because they'll already be worn down nubs when the cold wet weather hits.  Plus, time will stretch ahead, depressingly ad infinitum, once they pass the old record.  I pick:  62. 

(With a sidebet on Jose and David duking it out for the purse.)

Edited July 2, 2016 by candall
keep changing my number.

[humbleopinion]

Cabezon is a delicious fish with soft white meat that is mild in flavor and excellent steamed whole.

The size of the cabezon caught on the show was ideal for dining solo.

Bon Appetit!

[candall]

Mmmmmm. . .

Can someone go milk that mama bear and do a nice butter poach?

[Auntie Anxiety]

Nicole must be haunted by the big salmon she put back into the water because she decided she didn't need such an over abundance of food. Like many posters, I couldn't believe she didn't build a smoker or figure out some other way to preserve it. Even a couch survivalist like me knows that you keep whatever good stuff is thrown in your path.

[Jipijapa]

I was kind of stunned that Nicole would do something so risky as go into Bear Territory looking for a carcass.  If she really staked her entire game on one gill net... hm, I'll have to reconsider her.  

Wait, we jumped to Day 50?  When did that happen?  I must have missed it?

I'm not into David-bashing, but he was just getting greedy with the fish and frankly, it served him right that someone stole his stuff.  All during the episode I kept saying "Stop!  Quit while you're ahead!  Aggggh!"  I think he actually forgot the water was ball-freezingly cold when he went in after his line.

Larry's sudden breakdown on camera was quite dramatic.  Props for him starting the camera.  Once again though it makes me feel like life in the Larry Household back home must be pretty chaotic.

The only wisdom takeaway from this episode was Jose having the manbits to confess on camera that he had broken one of his own cardinal rules ("Don't force the wilderness to follow your script").  

I'm glad no one tapped this episode because this is the part of last season that I really liked:  the Final Four, gutting it out for glory.  To me it feels like this is when the best part of the show starts... once you've gotten rid of the unlucky, the unprepared and the people who "did all they came here to do."

[humbleopinion]

For those who are flummoxed how the show jumped forward, the days were ticked off in stealthy white numbers on the left lower part of the screen during the Larry montage of I'm bored...stilled bored...perpetually bored as he sighs and moans.

Look for the ghostly numbers when you see the "Deeper Cut" enhancement of this episode.

[Nowhere]

On July 1, 2016 at 2:09 PM, mlp said:

I'm thinking Nicole may be the next to tap out.  She's upbeat and very knowledgeable but she hasn't faced any serious hardship yet (that we've been shown) yet she looks absolutely haggard.  I can't help wondering if her health problems are catching up to her.  OTOH  Larry seems to be saying all the things that lead to tapping out so I could easily be wrong.

I'm still pulling for David.  He doesn't look or talk like a tough guy but he's got grit and determination.  I like him.

It's been so easy for Nicole, it's crossed my mind that she may be a plant. 

[LittleIggy]

Jose still leaves me cold. Unlike the others, I know so little about him.

[nonnybaby]

It's perplexing to me that people think Nicole has had an easy time. She has been much more resourceful than many, if not most, of the people this season. Could it be that she is so adept that she makes it look easier than it is?

[Snarklepuss]

Nicole made it look easy because she got put in an area where for a long time there was abundant salmon.  But now that it looks like the salmon have dried up she's obviously having a much harder time.  No doubt she is adept but being lucky enough to have been put in Salmon cove certainly played a part.

At first many of us thought the dearth of Jose video might be due to his lasting much longer than anyone else and being featured more toward the end, but with only 3 episodes left and 4 people still out there, there goes that theory unless 2 of them tap out early in the next episode and the last two eps are just him and one other person.  So it's indeed still a mystery as to why we haven't seen more of him.

[mythreecents]

1 hour ago, nonnybaby said:

It's perplexing to me that people think Nicole has had an easy time. She has been much more resourceful than many, if not most, of the people this season. Could it be that she is so adept that she makes it look easier than it is?

I tend to agree with this. Nicole, from the beginning, has had such a positive, upbeat attitude that it's easy to buy into the idea that she's had an "easy time". She was lucky in the fish department but I believe that even if she hadn't had that location, she would have made her own "luck". As to concerns about her looking haggard or letting her health suffer, I don't think she looks any worse for wear than the men, and I don't think she's stupid enough to risk her health. She's taken the time and figured out what she had to do to manage her MS holistically; typically folks that invested in their own health don't take unnecessary risks and it may be even be argued she'd take far less of a risk. 

I do think of the final four that F'ing Larry and David are the two with the 'stick-it-out-because-money-may-buy-happiness' factor. Both Jose & Nicole I think may not be "hungry" enough. I'm not good with predictions, so won't hazard a guess. 

And I'm cranky beyond crankiness that the "Alone: Deeper Cut" episodes have such teensy tiny captioning for the extra part. Can't read it unless I stand in front of the tv and don't want to be that close to F'ing Larry when he gets going. 

[riverheightsnancy]

6 hours ago, Snarklepuss said:

Nicole made it look easy because she got put in an area where for a long time there was abundant salmon.  But now that it looks like the salmon have dried up she's obviously having a much harder time.  No doubt she is adept but being lucky enough to have been put in Salmon cove certainly played a part.

At first many of us thought the dearth of Jose video might be due to his lasting much longer than anyone else and being featured more toward the end, but with only 3 episodes left and 4 people still out there, there goes that theory unless 2 of them tap out early in the next episode and the last two eps are just him and one other person.  So it's indeed still a mystery as to why we haven't seen more of him.

Yeah, I postulated that early on in the thread. I thought that they were hiding him, because we were going to get a lot of him at the end (he doesn't appear to be camera shy because he does put up half hour videos of his impressions on each episode-I have to see if there are any for the most recent episodes). I thought the last episode illustrated that. He had more footage than ever before. So that either means my theory is correct and they are leading up to showing him a lot more because he wins, or they are leading up to a very soon tap out. I remember last year, it felt like Mitch wasn't shown at all before he tapped and I was surprised about it. We all theorized that he just wasn't filming very much as he started thinking a lot about his mother and how she was doing. That could be a reason to break from their pattern of focusing on someone quite a bit before they tap.