S02.E12: Into The Abyss / S02.E13: The End Game

[cooksdelight]

4 hours ago, humbleopinion said:

Jose was branding himself from Day 1.

Jose is the Kim Kardashian of Alone.

Winning would have been great but Jose was always about the branding of his image and cashing in on seminars and appearances like this weekend's event with Nicole.

This was just one big infomercial for Jose. 

[Scaeva]

20 hours ago, LocimusPrime said:

1. Not impressed with Jose's skills. His shelter was terrible. His boat was too small and had terrible outriggers. His fishing skills seemed non existent. 

In retrospect Mike or Lucas from last season were a lot better at being Jose™ than Jose. For all Jose's talk about thriving in nature and native skills, he never really delivered and the boat he spent so much time building both caused him to miss the salmon run it was built for, and tap when it dunked him. 

Mike's boat may have been a lot less aesthetically pleasing, but it was far more practical and effecient, being thrown together in a single day and the outriggers so stable that you could dance on it without capsizing. Granted, Mike was somewhat blessed by the debris gods, but then his camp also looked a whole lot better than Jose's, and he seemed to be doing a lot better with food. He was thriving, while Jose never quite got there, despite lasting longer in the game. We've now had four contestants build watercraft of some kind between the two seasons, with Jose's being the only one to cause a tap, despite taking the longest to build.

I liked that Jose realized he had blundered by trying to impose his will on nature by taking so long to build the canoe, but then he later allowed a similar mistake to cause his tap, by taking his flimsy canoe back out onto the water instead of just waiting for the tides. 

Edited July 17, 2016 by Scaeva

[Snarklepuss]

I don't know if I believe that Jose's "tip and tap" was intentional.  I would think he'd want to go out on an up note if possible, not erring in judgment and completely defeated.  I never saw such a look of defeat and desolation on a person's face as Jose's when he was standing next to his boat waiting to be picked up.  I don't think that was an act.  He was way more in trouble at that point than he showed on the surface and this mistake brought that out. 

Jose is just more proof to me that all the survival skills in the world mean nothing if a person doesn't have good common sense.  He never impressed me in that department.  I knew it would likely be his undoing and why he would not be the winner.  That's why I think people like Mitch and Lucas were more of the real deal than Jose.  I do agree that Jose is kind of a faker in that he fancies himself to be more than he really is.  I don't think it was just the hunger that affected his judgment, though.  His judgment isn't all that good to begin with.  Add hunger to that and it's really bad.  And his survival skills aren't all they seemed to be either judging from how starved he was in the end.

[LeighAnne]

Quote

Umm, >awkward throat clearing< all due respect, but Nicole and Jose are professional wilderness survival instructors (I think.) 

I believe Nicole is an anthropologist.  She told that story about how she got her doctoral degree when she found out her stepson died.

Edited July 17, 2016 by LeighAnne

[holly4755]

I was listening to an interview with Nicole and she said that they were not allowed to eat the waterfowl, and her mouth would water looking at them. 

made me wonder about the guy with the duck that was his back up plan to eat. 

[seasick]

11 hours ago, candall said:

Umm, >awkward throat clearing< all due respect, but Nicole and Jose are professional wilderness survival instructors (I think.)  It's not the greatest endorsement to starve out of the internationally televised wilderness survival competition.

So, technically, let it never be said Jose couldn't sustain himself--it was the capsizing that did him in.  No arguing with hypothermia.  And no arguing he wasn't soaked through and through, because the rescue boat plucked him straight out of the drink.

And Nicole wasn't starving either--we know this because she says so, right there on her Facebook page.  But why would the editors choose not to show what would have been extremely interesting footage of someone preparing a supply of smoked or dried food?  More likely they would have been thrilled to showcase that process, if anyone had given them some footage.  One of the highlights of the early shows was that guy trying to bury his fish to make it last just an extra day or two.

Nicole was in bad shape after the salmon were gone, the seals ruined her fishing and the cold killed her plant protein.  When she was feeling "lightheaded," she didn't go back to her shelter and break open the salmon jerky, she followed a damn bear trail, searching for scraps.

 

I adored Nicole--loved her attitude toward the animals, loved her cheerful monologues to the camera, loved her sharing her knowledge about the varieties of plants.  But I think if her kids gave her a psychic phone call, it was to say, "Mom, it's over."

.

 I put nothing past the editors in their choices in what they show, manipulate or leave out.  I am in no hurry to put this on Nicole.  

 I guess I was a party of one but I was done with believing their interest in making a balanced, accurate and cohesive show when they never followed though on the Randy/fire storyline.  Never a moment or comment about how he was able to overcome the challenge of keeping a fire 24/7 when it was a Big Deal and he feared it may be impossible to do so.  They had a tap in S1 because of it and Randy feared it would be his swan song also. If they don't get the footage they want in the timeline they are showing, they can ask for it.   Don't present the challenge but not show the result.  Can you imagine 20 days of boat building for a salmon run and then never showing if Jose ever caught up with it?  To me this was about the same thing.

The default excuse seems to be 'Well, it's about the head game, not the nuts and bolts of survival.'  How can we separate the two?   If we see someone living large and eating well, then we know their tap out is not about hunger, cold, etc.  When we see Larry tapping over hunger we know that was his struggle.

The run-up footage to Nicole's tap was all about how her resources were being depleted implying hunger.  When she said it was about her kids it then appeared to be insincere.  I doubted her myself.  If she said she had stores of smoked fish etc then I believe her.  The fact that it didn't make the edit proves nothing to me.  

I don't think accurate portrayals are a priority for the editors.  I think they put on a show that looks good at face value, but because it is a contest for a win, a reality show, and we get invested in the contestants, we look behind the curtain for answers. In fiction we can't really question what we see.  But in this case we have live participants who can dispute the edit.  Reality shows lose their audience when the play games and lose authenticity for the sake of  drama.  This show is becoming dangerously close to that. 

  

. 

[SRTouch]

10 minutes ago, seasick said:

 I put nothing past the editors in their choices in what they show, manipulate or leave out.  I am in no hurry to put this on Nicole.  

 I guess I was a party of one but I was done with believing their interest in making a balanced, accurate and cohesive show when they never followed though on the Randy/fire storyline.  Never a moment or comment about how he was able to overcome the challenge of keeping a fire 24/7 when it was a Big Deal and he feared it may be impossible to do so.  

Another suspicious moment for me was Larry's convenient 2nd move to the much better location. Here one night he's talking about blowing up the Island cause an evil mouse is invading his shelter. Next morning he goes off to "scout" for a better location. Couple things were always suspicious about that. First, I find it hard to believe he stayed in what were obviously crappy locations for his first two sites without exploring in all directions. And to me it was really telling that he packed all his gear and out with a full ruck on the off chance that there might be a good site right over there in thevery one direction he never looked. Just have trouble buying that he would break down everything and carry everything before scouting it out, not knowing what he would find and knowing he had a shelter where he was. I always wondered if someone in the crew might have got fed up with coming ashore on that first rocky shore and struggling up that steep slope to take him his batteries and take his vitals. You know, a subtle hint like, "Dude, don't know how many more times I want to climb this cliff! It'd make life so much easier if you move 1/4 mile in that direction... just make it look good for the cameras and don't say I told you." A lot more believable scenario would be him looking at the camera and saying, "This place kind of sucks! I was laying in my fart sack last night thinking, and realised I never checked in that direction when I was scouting before. So, today I'm going to take my ax and make take a quick look see." Then he has his eureka moment, goes back and breaks down camp and starts lugging stuff to the new locale.

[seasick]

50 minutes ago, SRTouch said:

Another suspicious moment for me was Larry's convenient 2nd move to the much better location. Here one night he's talking about blowing up the Island cause an evil mouse is invading his shelter. Next morning he goes off to "scout" for a better location. Couple things were always suspicious about that. First, I find it hard to believe he stayed in what were obviously crappy locations for his first two sites without exploring in all directions. And to me it was really telling that he packed all his gear and out with a full ruck on the off chance that there might be a good site right over there in thevery one direction he never looked. Just have trouble buying that he would break down everything and carry everything before scouting it out, not knowing what he would find and knowing he had a shelter where he was. I always wondered if someone in the crew might have got fed up with coming ashore on that first rocky shore and struggling up that steep slope to take him his batteries and take his vitals. You know, a subtle hint like, "Dude, don't know how many more times I want to climb this cliff! It'd make life so much easier if you move 1/4 mile in that direction... just make it look good for the cameras and don't say I told you." A lot more believable scenario would be him looking at the camera and saying, "This place kind of sucks! I was laying in my fart sack last night thinking, and realised I never checked in that direction when I was scouting before. So, today I'm going to take my ax and make take a quick look see." Then he has his eureka moment, goes back and breaks down camp and starts lugging stuff to the new locale.

I wouldn't doubt that scenerio for a moment.  Like on Naked and Afraid when someone"just remembers" that there is a plant or tree that will cure some particular ailment they or their partner is suffering with.  

I still think someone dropped a cigarette lighter or a box of matches at Randy's camp.   ("and we just won't speak of this again" type of thing)   He had some roaring fires for someone who purportedly needed to spend countless hours cutting wood to keep it lit.

[Auntie Anxiety]

That's why the first seasons of almost all reality shows are the best seasons, before the editors and producers understand how to manipulate the audience. It's like the show within the show UnREAL, wherein each season simply MUST be bigger, better and more dramatic than the last.

One of the reasons I like The Last Alaskans is because most of it seems very organic. I also like Dual Survivor because I know going in that it is a set up and basically a primer on how to manage if you find yourself in a difficult survival situation.

[holly4755]

heh, you remind me of days when I was a mentor training programmers - They would struggle with something for days, but when I sat with them. they would suddenly solve their problem without me saying a word. You just ask people to explain the problem and they have to break it down it for this person who has no idea what they are doing, that they see the answer when describing the problem. they don't need the answer, they just need to slow down and think about a problem and the answer is there. you ask Larry how are you doing, he starts to complain and you say "uh huh" and let him talk, and he will figure it out on his own. That is not putting fish in his gill net, but letting him clear his head by talking. I really don't see them putting squashed mice under the deadfall either.  While the editors make up little stories,

I think they do not edit things out of sequence because that would interfere with showing the dates. But I do believe they pick and chose footage to tell a story and it might not be an accurate story. The fact that so many are complaining bout the editing monkeys this year as opposed to last year indicates it is questionable. 

I do believe that Jose could have given us some interesting footage if it wasn't for the damn boat.  It just took hold of him and he never seemed to get over it, It is a good thing he went over in or near shallow water, I don't think he could have made it if the water was deeper. 

[raven]

3 hours ago, seasick said:

The run-up footage to Nicole's tap was all about how her resources were being depleted implying hunger.  When she said it was about her kids it then appeared to be insincere.

Interesting - I know she talked about the plants being yellow and no more fish, then she followed the bear trail, but my impression from her tap is the opposite - her kids needed her, she knew in her heart they needed her, etc.  She certainly looked less healthy than at the start (as did most of them); there was speculation here that her health maybe was a factor that she wasn't talking about.  I totally believed her that she was enjoying her life on the island but wanted to get home because she felt her kids needed her.

The editing of course is manipulated to tell a story for each contestant; effective editing makes me respond emotionally and keeps me invested in watching and people watch for different things.  There's only so much time to tell a story for each contestant; for Randy, the editors obviously thought (rightly, for me) that people would be interested in how he built up his shelter, the sweat lodge, etc....stuff that came just prior to his tap.  So extra footage of him tending the fire after the ferro rod loss was cut in favor of the other things, they have to assign time to contestants that lasted longer. 

I will say that the editing for Jose wass rather curious.  He didn't get any substantial benefit from building the kayak and people here have talked about other footage of him so why so much focus on the kayak?  It was great he built it, it's a skill I sure don't have, all I can think is the editors decided to show him as obsessed with it to his final detriment. 

I don't think there were hints to contestants or planted items...I think the contestants survived or not on their own but ultimately this is television so they pick and choose what we see based on the narratives they think will generate the most interest.

[lidarose9]

In terms of survival skills, Mike is the one who blew my mind. He was so unconcerned about the future, he spent most of his time entertaining himself making gadgets and toys. I would like to know whether he was laying in food supplies for the winter or winterizing his camp. Did he actually intend to dig in and stay for months? Did he feel his food resources were adequate for wintertime? Or was he giving himself the mental "out" to tap all along and so wasn't really worried about the future? It all just seemed like a lark to him, and I don't know if that's because he is such an awesome outdoorsman or he never meant to stay.

[candall]

32 minutes ago, holly4755 said:

  It is a good thing he went over in or near shallow water, I don't think he could have made it if the water was deeper. 

>smile<

2 hours ago, seasick said:

 I put nothing past the editors in their choices in what they show, manipulate or leave out.  I am in no hurry to put this on Nicole.  

 I guess I was a party of one but I was done with believing their interest in making a balanced, accurate and cohesive show when they never followed though on the Randy/fire storyline.  Never a moment or comment about how he was able to overcome the challenge of keeping a fire 24/7 when it was a Big Deal and he feared it may be impossible to do so.  They had a tap in S1 because of it and Randy feared it would be his swan song also. If they don't get the footage they want in the timeline they are showing, they can ask for it.  

Unless or until somebody blabs, I'm inclined to believe the editors tell the stories they're given (except for skipping over the last three days of Larry's decline, to maintain the climactic tension.)

Hold on, I'm not conferring sainthood status on them; I know they're in the business of putting out a good show.  But it would have served their own self-interest to fill a segment or two with the construction and use of a smoker or some sort of food preservation process.  After reviewing a hundred snoozy hours of people walking around, sitting by their fires, curled in their tents, wouldn't you pounce on a fascinating example of resourcefulness and industry?  Where's the benefit of conspiring to make it seem like Nicole ran out of food?  They had "ran out of food" stories up the wazoo.

The cheerful woodsy woman with MS surpasses every other player in The Hunger Game, hands down, but foregoes the prize:  Awesome!

 

Because of self-interest, again, I don't see the point of giving Randy special consideration with a handy box of matches, either.   A good story is:  "Wow, don't get careless for a second when one tiny little item might make all the difference to your survival."  A bad story is: "Hey, he couldn't make fire and now he can, but I don't know why."

Randy thought he set his ferro rod down and it rolled into the fire.  Seems more likely he found it in the leaves or something happened he didn't want to tell the camera--"Hello, I'm a derp who unthinkingly shoved my ferro down inside my sock"--than that someone slipped him a Bic.

[holly4755]

Jose's going home video - answers some questions, creates new ones. Certainly shows he has a different vision of his boat.

http://www.history.com/shows/alone/season-2/episode-13/bonus-jose-heads-home

[Joan Z]

On 7/17/2016 at 0:17 AM, seasick said:

First, I think the wise thing would be to prepare for taking such a risk.  Don't wear 85% of your clothes! . (that''s practically common sense)  He wasn't going out for the day, it was only for a short time to anchor his net.  Keep dry clothes at camp and have a fire somewhat still alive.  They can have a fire smoldering, he shouldn't go out knowing he'd have to start a fire from scratch.  He wasn't planning to be gone long. 

I've thought about that - don't wear all your clothes and keep the warm clothes at camp in case you tipped the boat. But then I see them wearing 2-3 layers of clothes even during the day so I just presumed it was too cold to wear little clothes. 

[Joan Z]

On 7/17/2016 at 1:06 AM, holly4755 said:

Much like the white writing by Nichole in the tapping deepest cut episode indicates she was not that hungry, she had food stores. From what she wrote on her facebook and the comment on her scene I think she was a bit upset that she was edited as hungry making people believe that was what motivated her - she also said her insulated hut was quite comfortable and warm if dark and she didn't have to boil water because it was rain water.

I bet they all upset with the edit! Especially when the show isn't upfront on what they can and cannot do and hunt.

Edited July 17, 2016 by Joan Z

[Joan Z]

On 7/17/2016 at 1:55 AM, LocimusPrime said:

im sorry but I don't believe that to be true not with a campfire built inside a shelter. What does humidity has little impact when you are using direct heat. Build a decent size fire and humidity will not have any significant impact. I tried it this morning and dried a thick wool sweater in 55 minutes by fire. This after noon I'm going to get some more wool clothes drench them in water, wrap them in some tarp like material and build a fire on top of them ( kinda like cooking boar or goat). 

Never should it take days  

I don't think Jose's camp big enough for a big campfire. Which means he'll have to dry it outside. 

[Joan Z]

23 hours ago, roamyn said:

David's bio says he's the author of a post-apocalyptic series of books.

So he's not as poor/broke as it's been shown.

I thought book author don't make much money (except JK Rowling)? I read an article about a guy with a book on NY Times Best Seller and he didn't make much money. He's a teacher and he make more money as a teacher. 

[Neurochick]

On July 15, 2016 at 6:12 PM, SRTouch said:

ITA Had Larry known there were only two left, he might have rallied for a day or two, but he truly was out of gas, while David was still feeding himself. At that point it would have taken some catastrophe (like slipping and really being hurt) for David to lose. In fact, IIRC it took a couple days after Larry tapped before the boat showed for a regular visit before David found out he had won. And, yes, great shot with daughter sneaking up behind him. Typical David reaction, too, as he turns away to collect himself before hugging her. Then he takes her around to see his cove. He called it Desolation Cove, but still appreciated the beauty.

I have been watching sporadically but binge watched the last four episodes just now.

Did Nicole really tap out because she missed her children, or was it because she couldn't find food?

I think Jose spent too much time building that boat, and when the boat didn't work out the way he thought it would, he realized he was fucked.

I think Larry spent too much time fighting it.

I think David won because he was flexible.  If one thing didn't work, he tried something else.  He was also lucky that he was able to catch fish; Nicole, Jose and Larry didn't seem to be able to find food once winter set in.  

I think I missed what happened to David's wife, did she pass away?

Edited July 17, 2016 by Neurochick

[Joan Z]

Remember early in the season most of us disagree (and think it's stupid) when Nicole set her gillnet next to bear den? If she set her gillnet in the ocean like the rest of the guys did, she probably would be as unlucky as Justin, Larry and David. So, good call, Nicole! I think if someone else got her area, seeing bear across the river, I don't think they would put their gillnet there. 

Jose needed a buoy, he prayed hard and he found one on the beach. He's getting sick of his spruce bough bed and want a foamie, well, he found one on the beach the next day. God must be listening to him. Maybe he should've prayed for food! Or 500k. Or a job. 

Jose said he gained weight a week before he tapped out. So he's been eating well then? 

Larry cracks me up. He went home and goes on and on about missing food until his wife have to interrupt "...and family..." LOL! 

Something in common about Alan and David that I noticed - they were starving but few days before Alan won he finally got back in the groove with his slugfest. And i think he said he was ready for spring? As for David, he started starving but then found his rhythm with his fishing lines. 

Edited July 17, 2016 by Joan Z

[MostlyContent]

On 7/16/2016 at 0:16 PM, riverheightsnancy said:

Regarding Jose in the water, maybe he thought that he didn't have the strength to get out and had to wait?

Please excuse the above post.  I had a reply box open for a couple of days, which sent me into an endless loop of some sort.  I'll try again.

Oh!  Here we are. :)  

The couple of times I inadvertently ended up in cold water unexpectedly, it was *far* colder to get out if there was wind, or even a breeze, than it was to just stay in there.     I assume that Jose knew that, plus he'd have to hike back up to his camp where there might or might not be a fire.  IMO, he was smart to just tap.  There's really no way to dry heavy clothes in that environment, as we've seen contestants say over and over and over.  

And for whoever was talking about just having a 'fire in the shelter' to dry one's clothes, that wouldn't work so well in a small tent-like enclosure made mostly of a plastic (or canvas) tarp.  You might be able to get away with a small TINY fire (like, to boil water for a cup of coffee), but to dry clothes???  No way.  No how.  

Now I must catch up.  :)

[MostlyContent]

14 hours ago, Neurochick said:

I think I missed what happened to David's wife, did she pass away?

From what I remember of episode zero, I believe they were recently divorced.   Perhaps someone could refresh my memory?  

I *think* that's how it went.  I even wondered when he went 'home' to tell his children about his win if he was going to his own house, or his ex-wife's.  It seemed rather uncomfortable on the couch with the kids, and then the deck scene.  ???  

If (okay, now I'm totally speculating) he is paying spousal support and child support....maybe that's why he had to be the 'dad of no' rather than the 'dad of yes'?  After that whole thing, I'm starting to wonder if he watches Bravo.  lol

Edited July 18, 2016 by MostlyContent

[qtpye]

I got hooked on the second season of this show and never watched the first season.  This past weekend I binged watched three episodes of the previous season.  My husband and I could not believe how much better the show was.

I feel like with this season, we have so many unanswered questions and the first season was so much more informative and awesome.  I felt like all the contestants were sincere, even the ones that tapped out after a few days.

I do not know if they filmed it different way this season, because they did not want to be repetitive or if the contestants just did not give them great footage.

I learned more in the first three episodes of last season about this contest and the island then I did all of season 2.

[SRTouch]

3 hours ago, qtpye said:

I got hooked on the second season of this show and never watched the first season.  This past weekend I binged watched three episodes of the previous season.  My husband and I could not believe how much better the show was.

I've watched from episode 1 season 1, and ITA season one was better. When it came on it was so refreshing to NOT have a narrator droning on trying to guide our thinking. Maybe I've just conveniently forgotten, but seems to be much more editing for drama this season, with more stock footage. Especially of the eagle with the damaged beak, how many times did we see that bird, and now I think it and that wolf were never seen by any of the contestants. I think there was more quiet time with the contestants just admiring the setting. Seems this season most contestants had an agenda they were working.

Last season we never heard about winning some big prize. They talked about it as a challenge. Some said they wanted to see if they could actually do it, others were going to stay until the bitter end because no matter what they weren't going to quit - not because of money, but for bragging rights. Who knows, maybe if some of the contestants had longer than a few days last season people would have been talking about growing up in an orphanage or about the causes of their PTSD. That's another thing that changed. This season people were more prepared, just 1 early tap out contestant. Back to the agendas, last time felt much more like people were embracing a personal challenge. Last season's final four never mentioned doing it the money. The final 3&4 last season, Mitch and Lucas, seemed to view it as a personal challenge, to prove to themselves they could do it. I don't think Lucas ever viewed it as a competition with others. He was that to test himself, not compete with others. Mitch was competing with the rest, but he had the added mental challenge of having recently learned his mother had cancer. He proved to himself he could survive, and then chose quality time with his sick mother over the competition. The challenge was everything to the final two, they WERE NOT GOING TO QUIT, and money was an afterthought. I'd have to go back to be sure, but I don't believe Alan mentioned money until asked what he was going to do with it after he won.

This season was much more about money. We had people who wanted to prove that they could survive, but more people this time around talked of money as their prime motivation - and this time we knew from the beginning that some made their living teaching survival and had in fact been recruited. None of the final four this time were primarily there to answer any sort of personal challenge - to them it was about the money. I think the fact that Nicole really doesn't need the money made it easy for her to quit when she received the psychic phone call telling her the kids needed her. Like Nicole, Jose appears to be another who is a professional. The cynical part of me says Nicole was recruited because production wanted a woman to do well. Then she recommended they recruit her long time friend Jose - don't know if that's what happened, but cynical me says yeah, probably. Sort of funny as Nicole, who doesn't "need" the money lasted just long enough to boost her stock as a teacher and as a guide for her safari business. Then we have her friend Jose, who could really use the money and lasted a little longer. Sure didn't take long for them to get together to cash in on their Alone experience and offer $1300 5 day retreats where people can learn about how they survived, and even have Jose teach them to carve their very own fireblower. Cynical me wonders if they had that in the works before arriving on the Island. Hate to think that their aim was to outlast the bookmark set last season, and anything past that was just icing on the cake, but well, the thought is there.

The final two were the amateurs. I understand both have done some wilderness training (nobody should be there as a novice), but neither presently relies on it as a profession. For Larry it's more a hobby, he enjoys the outdoors (as much as he enjoys anything) and makes instructional videos for YouTube. David was a missionary in Brazil, who once ran and taught a jungle survival camp. Not professional, but not exactly novices either. From the very beginning, they made it clear they NEEDED the money, and they were going to do their best to WIN THE MONEY. For some viewers that's great, it's a game with money prize, so money should be the prime motivation. To me, when money is the main motivation there's too much focus on needing money instead of sharing the enjoyment of the experience. There was very little "sharing the enjoyment" with the final two.

Then we have contestants to whom it's not a competition at all. It's either just a fun camping trip and a chance to enjoy nature or a self challenge of how well they'll survive. I enjoy watching this these types of contestants, sometimes they display all the skills to win it all, but they'll never be the big winner, because that's not really why they're there. Sometimes it's a surprise when they quit, pretty much always a disappointment. Mitch and Lucas last season, Mike and Randy this season, they all showed skills, but being the last man was not their prime objective.

I prefer to view it as a competition where, yes money is a motivator, but not the prime motivator. My favorite competitor is the one who wants to prove to himself he can survive, and by damn and by golly, he's going to outlast every other dude on the Island - oh, and getting the money would be nice. 

In the end, it is a competition where the last contestant is the winner, and I'm not trying to take anything away from any of the contestants - just saying I enjoy watching some more than others, and as a rule my favorites are not those motivated by the money. I enjoyed watching Mike more than any of the final four - doesn't mean I think he should have won. David deserved to win because he was bound and determined to stick it out until he physically could last any longer, and he did - but he was not be favorite to watch or the one with the most skill.

[cooksdelight]

I noticed someone heavy breathing in the soundtrack this season, that wasn't there in the first season. Very little music or background effects in season 1. I hope season 3 isn't worse.

Edited July 18, 2016 by cooksdelight

[roamyn]

30 minutes ago, cooksdelight said:

I noticed someone heavy breathing in the soundtrack this season, that wasn't there in the first season. Very little music or background effects in season 1. I hope season 3 isn't worse.

Maybe they added it later, but I've been watching S1 all wreekend, and yes, there is background music.

I prefer S2.  All these wimps tapping out so early in S1 is annoying (I'm up to the final four).  Also, we don't really see any background info.

I think there was just as much editing drama in S1, as there was in S2.  For example, the editors made it a point to show Dustin falling right at a commercial break.  And it was just a trip.  Also they relied on "coming up next" editing within each episode, that I don't recally them using as much in S2.

Honestly I think we got more lessons in S1, but maybe that's because they seem to have focused more on food related issues in S2, and fire related issues in S1.

I don't need to have all these unanswered questions.

For the record, it did not seem like Nicole tapped out strictly over hunger,  but that she missed her kids, while watching it originally.  It would've been nice if we saw her smoking the salmon, but she never, ever mentioned it period.

I also don't think Jose tipped on purpose. And he was so boring, I don't blame the editors for using as little of him as possible.  Even Desmond had more personality.

Edited July 18, 2016 by roamyn

[SRTouch]

11 minutes ago, cooksdelight said:

I noticed someone heavy breathing in the soundtrack this season, that wasn't there in the first season. Very little music or background effects in season 1. I hope season 3 isn't worse.

Exactly, in season one they weren't afraid to have no sound, or just the sound of the wind and surf. At least for me, part of the joy of being in the woods is that occasionally there is no sound, or just the wind and maybe a bird scolding you because you're intruding in his space.  I got that feeling of peace more during season one, not nearly as much this season.

Hmmm, now you have me wondering. If I went back to some of those scenes where someone (mainly thinking David) had a thousand yard stare, maybe that lost and despairing impression was influenced by subtle background noise. I mean, when he was watching the otters, was it subtle music that, at first, gave the impression he was depressed when different music would have created a sense of peace and wonder. Professional sound editors make their living doing exactly that - ach now I'm going to have to watch the reruns to see if they were playing with me.

[LocimusPrime]

Jose didn't have a small tent like enclosure. In fact, if you look at his shelter it wasn't enclosed at All.  I've already dried a wool sweater with a fire that was medium.  Smaller than a fire you would have going in you fireplace in winter, but now I guess I'll have to try to dry it a over a fire that's underneath a tarp. Lol. Shouldn't be hard. 

Is there something I'm missing here  stretch out your sweater  hang it or position it about 18-24" above the flame.  Lower or raise as needed    Wring out any excess water as needed, stretch out  repeat   If you get bored you can do it like a rotisserie chicken or pig  

Science has escaped some people.  Heat from a fire will dry anything depending on the duration of exposure to it.  You can be in the freaking snow and I guarantee you if you get a wet towel from your washing machine and build a fire and throw that towel into a frying pan and stick that frying pan into the fire, it will dry  smh 

Theres actually a bunch of threads about drying clothes via fire ( direct heat). Wool is easier than cotton everyone says. Dries 8-10x faster. Check out survivalist boards.com. They discuss this very issue. 

Edited July 19, 2016 by LocimusPrime

[qtpye]

Not to beat a dead horse, but watching the first season, you really get an idea of the animal danger.  The second season contestants handled the animals so well (particularly Nicole) that you thought they were sharing the island with Winnie the Pooh.  I think this season's competitors were much more seasoned and prepared (they also had the advantage of watching the first season), but for some reason, not many of them provided compelling footage.

In the first season the guy who built a boat out of tarp and leaves.  He did it in life five seconds and it felt so organic compared to Jose's fairly boring footage trying to catch a salmon run that was already long gone.  I am much more engrossed in the first season, where the danger seems so much more real.

[holly4755]

Mike had two tents - a large open one to workin, and a small one for sleeping in. Perhaps Jose did the same.  Let's see what is on the reunion show first and the contestants are promising to release more video. 

 

OK, for Larry cheerers - apparently somehow I have become friends with Larry. Idon't remember asking to be his friend and I have no accepted new friends for a long while, so??/ 

anyway he posted this today

Quote

I just got back from Europe yesterday and got caught up on Alone. My wife just watched the last episode tonight. After she smacked the heck out of me ? for saying I knew she'd be disappointed in her heart I didn't win she kissed me and told me she loved me. I am my own worst critic, my family, my friends, and complete strangers have given me SO much support and I thank you all. I gave this experience my all. I learned a ton about survival and just plain life. What an awesome experience I had. I don't do anything half way, and this was no different. Thank you to everyone for all the awesome messages and comments I've received. I left it all on the field. Many videos, an inside look so to speak, to come. Thank you all. It's been said that behind every strong man is a good woman, well my wife and family stand with me, sometimes in front of me. Thank you. ?

[LennieBriscoe]

I've been watching this show out of season order. So I thought it was odd that no one from this season hunted game with a bow and arrow. Man, some competitors almost starve, while the ultimate winner feasts on crab and fish. I know initial placement was a lottery, but still. 

Edited June 1, 2022 by LennieBriscoe