S04.E08: Flare-Up

[Drogo]

Existential threats are faced at every turn by the three remaining teams after nearly a month on the island, as one participant is forced to fight a raging fire, while rising tensions could end a partnership.

[OoogleEyes]

Oh, that cabin looks so cute and cozy!

Pete is a Fish Whisperer! Is he even using bait?

Everything you have *is* as a result of your hard work, Ted. That crappy shelter built by Jim is a prime example. They're making *me* depressed! They need to go.

[riverheightsnancy]

Ginger 1: NOOOOOOO! You didn't put enough line on the crab trap! There are no carbs! It's all over for us! 

Ginger 2: No, the float had a hole in it. I don't appreciate being told how to do this. 

Ginger 1: Well we need at least 2 meals a day for 5 days so that we can relax. There is $400,000 on the line.

Ginger 2: You need to help more. I am getting all the food. You are so lazy and never help!!

Ginger 1: I am so tired-exhausted. We should relax today. 

Ginger 2: Relax!? How the hell can we do that? If you just got up and helped, we could scavenge more food!! You're so lazy.

Ginger 1: But we can't scavenge enough food for us. There isn't enough. We're done. There is no point. We're screwed this sucks. 

Ginger 2: It wouldn't suck so much if you would try to fish. Just DO SOMETHING!

Ginger 1: Why should I? There is no point, this just sucks! This is the worst! We can't win now! We might as well tap out. 

Ginger 2: If you weren't so lazy, we could win, but you just sit there and do nothing. You are such a lazy jerk!

Ginger 1: No YOU are!

Ginger 2: Uh uh, no it's you! You will make us lose! Everyone is counting on us!  Our mom and dad, and girlfriends, we can do so much with the money. 

And on and on....

SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP you ginger twins! 

The big difference I noticed tonight is that the dialogue is now about the OTHER person and all their faults, instead of letting us into the person's head and their personal thoughts and struggles. They have RUINED this show and tonight's episode really showed that. Brooke & Dave for the win! 

[holly4755]

the fire was annoying, but did not appear to be a biggie, just as long as they tamp it down when they are not there.  We knew Brook was to thin, but I wonder if she is being warned by the medical staff? 

the brothers have good days and bad days,  Since they don't film every moment of every day, you don't know if they resolve it at the end of the day. 

not much about Sam and Pete, his nature experience would show more you would think. 

Edited August 4, 2017 by holly4755

[Quilt Fairy]

43 minutes ago, riverheightsnancy said:

SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP you ginger twins! 

The big difference I noticed tonight is that the dialogue is now about the OTHER person and all their faults, instead of letting us into the person's head and their personal thoughts and struggles. They have RUINED this show and tonight's episode really showed that.

This x1000.

Quotes I never thought I'd hear:  "The limpets are swarming!"

Edited August 4, 2017 by Quilt Fairy

[pezgirl7]

I kind of had to laugh at the father and son for getting so excited over the ladder they made, when the husband and wife built an entire cabin with a fireplace, and a checkers set!

[LittleIggy]

Maybe Dave will carve a Monopoly set next.

I agree. If you can make a sturdy ladder, why can't you make a decent shelter?

Good thing the McKenzie brothers...I mean, the Baird brothers are too malnourished to physically attack each other.

[dgpolo]

2 minutes ago, LittleIggy said:

I agree. If you can make a sturdy ladder, why can't you make a decent shelter?

It actually looked like they had done something with their shelter, they just never showed us what. It looks like it's really up off the ground now (hence the ladder) with a huge downed tree with space under it, and racks for firewood and other things. Why wasn't any of that shown instead of two sleeping bags talking last ep?

Also, this:

Quote

Quote

one participant is forced to fight a raging fire

 

was a little exaggerated.

[roamyn]

We missed the last 15 min.  Any thing interesting?  

Didn't the previews last week show the boat sinking?

I laughed when they lost the crab trap.  I just knew they'd f it up.  When they flashed Jim's age st 35, and his brother's at 32, I was shocked.  They act like 22 yr old frat boys.

I'm starting to really worry abt Brooke.  20 lbs weight loss might not be/look for most of the guys, but Brooke is tiny in the first place.

Again Sam/Pete show their awesomeness.

Edited August 4, 2017 by roamyn

[MaraJadeSharpie]

31 minutes ago, roamyn said:

When they flashed Jim's age st 35, and his brother's at 32, I was shocked.

What?! I've missed that. They cannot be in their 30s! They act and argue like young 20s. Oh, my. I'm 28, and I'm embarrassed by these two. The show should forcibly tap them out per the "Unbearable to Watch" rule. Which I've just made up. But seriously think bears consideration.

[humbleopinion]

If  Pete wins he's going to buy an aluminum boat to put on the river out by the house to crab.

Sam will to take a year off work and they can crab twice a week on the aluminum boat.

The fact that the winnings would just allow them to spend more time to do outdoor things together warms by cold black heart.

Pete's voice overs of his philosophy of life, his feelings for Sam is such a respite from the yammering/complaints/whining of the Bumble Bros.

Their loud and  juvenile bickering bums me out.

Edited August 4, 2017 by humbleopinion

[MostlyContent]

On 7/24/2017 at 8:24 AM, Drogo said:

one participant is forced to fight a raging fire

A 'raging fire'???  LOL!  Hardly.  And she still had time to grab her camera and emit another scream.  Whatever.  

Perhaps her hubby should be fishing MORE instead of making a checker board.  <snooze>  

I just lost a large post because my internet went on the blink.  Let me summarize.  

Dislike the brothers because they suck.  One more than the other .......  but I don't know their names, because I dislike them and I don't care.  Oh YAY, we have two buckets of food, no we don't, yes we do, I'm tired, get out here and grab limpets, no, okay you suck.  

Team father and son even though I have issues with them, too.  

Thanks, History channel, for ruining my show.  assholes.  

Edited August 4, 2017 by MostlyContent

[cooksdelight]

Dave is not using that soap on his hands, obviously. Brooke is starting to look frazzled and tired. If they decide to leave, I think it will be Dave tapping out of concern for his wife.

The brothers remind me of 12-yr olds. But I understand where their frustration is coming from, they're hungry and tired. When I get hungry and tired, all bets are off as to who's head I'll chew off first.

I was busy in the kitchen when Sam and Pete were shown so I'll have to rewatch, but I got the gist of the conversation being that Pete is still providing all the fish.

I think if anything can be taken from this season, it's that you can build a great shelter but it may come at a cost. And if you don't build a shelter, your nerves will get shot sooner than later.

[qtpye]

10 hours ago, OoogleEyes said:

Oh, that cabin looks so cute and cozy!

Pete is a Fish Whisperer! Is he even using bait?

Everything you have *is* as a result of your hard work, Ted. That crappy shelter built by Jim is a prime example. They're making *me* depressed! They need to go.

Did you notice they had a fricken fireplace mantle with their initials carved on it!  Best shelter on VI by far.  Speaking of VI, what a beautiful place.

7 hours ago, humbleopinion said:

If  Pete wins he's going to buy an aluminum boat to put on the river out by the house to crab.

Sam will to take a year off work and they can crab twice a week on the aluminum boat.

The fact that the winnings would just allow them to spend more time to do outdoor things together warms by cold black heart.

Pete's voice overs of his philosophy of life, his feelings for Sam is such a respite from the yammering/complaints/whining of the Bumble Bros.

Their loud and  juvenile bickering bums me out.

I so admire Pete sor sticking it out at 60 plus, when men less then half his age have gone home, whining and complaining like toddlers.

[ProfCrash]

I think they will carve a Settlers of Catan game next. It is more fun then Monopoly but far and the pieces would demand more wood working.

What I like about Brooke and Dave is that they are discussing the number of calories that they need. It is not an abstract discussion but a "we need X number of calories because we did Y and we need Z number of fish to get to that." They know their stuff. I suspect that they know that the second place person was pulled last year for BMI issues. It strikes me as far too early for them to be getting BMI warnings. I also suspect that they would have built something similar if they had been solo. They both know what they are doing, it is really impressive.

I like Sam and Pete. They work well together and are fun to watch.

I am not even going to comment on the butthead brothers.

[rmontro]

9 hours ago, dgpolo said:

was a little exaggerated.

Yeah, the episode description said there was a "raging fire".  After Brooke put out the chimney fire, I kept wondering if there was going to be another, worse fire.  I guess they just "cried wolf" with that one.  It could be a dangerous situation in that cabin with smoke inhalation though if there was a bad fire.

I like the way they've decorated the cabin, with things strung up and sitting on the mantle.  I bet when this is over they never want to see another checker board again.

I do wonder if the medics warned them about Brooke's weight, because her and Dave both brought it up.

5 hours ago, MostlyContent said:

Dislike the brothers because they suck.  One more than the other .......  but I don't know their names, because I dislike them and I don't care. 

Jim is the older one (35) and Ted is the younger one (32).  Jim is the lazy one and Ted is the one obsessed with foraging for limpets.  Not sure which one's side I'm taking.  I think JIm is being passive aggressive toward Ted's idea about keeping a five day stock of foraged food, and is just sitting down and doing nothing.  If they would just get rid of these two and their bickering, I wouldn't mind watching the pairs so much.

[roamyn]

You are correct that the show - even in this format - is still better than 75-80% of tv, 99% of reality.  Big Brother and even The Voice are much further down the rung of watchable tv.

But I disagree regarding the Butt/Blunder Brothers.  Sam in S1 suffered AND his wife was heavily pregnant.  He didn't whine & complain half as much as these two - mostly Ted, do.  Larry complained, but he was fun to watch,and he never gave up.  Ted sits there whining, while at least Jim tries different things - no matter how ill thought out, he's trying.  Right from the beginning when Jim tried to spear a grouse, and Ted apparently didn't smoke the abundance of fish he got in the gill net, these two have shown no aptitude for survival.    They cut their hands (Jim),  hook themselves {Ted), and neither has seen fit to MAKE A WORTHY SHELTER!

38 minutes ago, rmontro said:

Jim is the older one (35) and Ted is the younger one (32).  Jim is the lazy one and Ted is the one obsessed with foraging for limpets.  Not sure which one's side I'm taking.  I think JIm is being passive aggressive toward Ted's idea about keeping a five day stock of foraged food, and is just sitting down and doing nothing.  If they would just get rid of these two and their bickering, I wouldn't mind watching the pairs so much.

No.  Ted is the one sitting around whining, while Jim is trying to get him motivated.

[ClareWalks]

I cannot tell those goddamn brothers apart. They even SOUND identical.

I'm sure Brooke is aware of her weight and doesn't even need the medics to warn her. Based on the footage of past med checks, they are able to clearly see their weight on the scale. I'm sure she has the BMI chart for her height memorized, too. 

Not enough Pete and Sam! Obviously the Ginger Bros are the next to go, hopefully we will see more of Pete and Sam then. They are getting along really well. They don't even seem to annoy each other!

[rmontro]

15 minutes ago, roamyn said:

No.  Ted is the one sitting around whining, while Jim is trying to get him motivated.

Nope.  Ted is whining, but he's also the one doing the foraging and complaining to Jim because Jim won't forage.  Jim was the one who did some fishing, but he doesn't want to forage and work hard, he wants to conserve energy.

[roamyn]

7 minutes ago, rmontro said:

Nope.  Ted is whining, but he's also the one doing the foraging and complaining to Jim because Jim won't forage.  Jim was the one who did some fishing, but he doesn't want to forage and work hard, he wants to conserve energy.

Yes, Ted WAS doing the foraging.  This last episode all he did was talk abt giving up and sitting on a log.  JIM set the trap and was trying to coerce Ted to forage, but he didn't want to anymore.  JIM didn't want to forage because he'd already expended a lot of energy, and he wanted to conserve what he had left.

My point is Jim is not lazy.

[ethalfrida]

The brothers are annoying and bringing down the show. It's not that they disagree it's how they do it that makes it so immature. Did, did not, stop touching me, I'm. not. touching. you... 

The powers that be really ruined this show.

[rmontro]

6 minutes ago, roamyn said:

Yes, Ted WAS doing the foraging.  This last episode all he did was talk abt giving up and sitting on a log.  JIM set the trap and was trying to coerce Ted to forage, but he didn't want to anymore.  JIM didn't want to forage because he'd already expended a lot of energy, and he wanted to conserve what he had left.

My point is Jim is not lazy.

Fair enough.  I'm not sure I would respond positively to Ted's insistence that I follow his plan of stockpiling limpets five days ahead of time.  Plus Jim was trying to fish, it just so happens he didn't catch anything (as will happen sometimes when you fish).  So Ted jumps on that opportunity to point out that Jim is not providing food like he is, because he's being a jackass.  Compare that to the father/son team, where the son can't catch a fish to save his life, but his dad keeps catching them.  The dad (Pete) doesn't shove it in his kid's face that he's feeding him, he's just happy that he's able to do it.

[Tighthead]

18 minutes ago, rmontro said:

Nope.  Ted is whining, but he's also the one doing the foraging and complaining to Jim because Jim won't forage.  Jim was the one who did some fishing, but he doesn't want to forage and work hard, he wants to conserve energy.

 

Ted sure was quick to crap all over Jim on the crab trap.  Strange behaviour.  

Its much harder to whine when you are alone. With a partner you can deflect/project and play the blame game. 

Of course we only see 5 per cent, but those guys need to change up their approach for fishing.

Its hard when you are depleted and exhausted, but they need to sit down and make a plan.  Something like "lets put up   4 days of food and then both do nothing but fish for three days to conserve energy and hopefully get more food."

[simplyme]

15 minutes ago, ethalfrida said:

The brothers are annoying and bringing down the show. It's not that they disagree it's how they do it that makes it so immature. Did, did not, stop touching me, I'm. not. touching. you... 

I grew up in western NY state. It wasn't that unusual to see a car with Ontario plates going through, and one thing we noticed is that Ontario drivers tend to drive fast. Really fast.

Now that I've seen Jim and Ted in action, I can't stop picturing them as kids in the back of the family car. Yeah, I'd be doing 90, too. Anything to shorten that trip with them. 

[Auntie Anxiety]

Can someone explain to me how that fire extinguisher was supposed to act like a buoy? One of the Gingers said there must have been a hole in it somewhere (umm, so apparently it didn't occur to either one of them to, I don't know, fill it with water and see if there was a leak? And if there was a leak, what different would it have made? The canister was going to be under water anyway and would inevitably fill up and sink to some extent. All I know is that like, they were bleeping stoopid and like they ended up being looking like bleeping like because they are too brain cell challenged, like, eh?

[ClareWalks]

The Ginger Brothers remind me of that Simpsons episode with Hank Scorpio, where Bart was sent to special ed, and there was that other kid in the class who said "I'm from Canada, and they think I'm slow, eh?"

[patty1h]

While discussing their lack of food, the brothers twice said if things don't turn around they could starve to death.  Dudes, you DO have a remedy so you won't literally starve to death - it's that emergency phone.  If you are so dumb to let yourselves starve, you guys are a lost cause.

Edited August 4, 2017 by patty1h

[holly4755]

starvation will make you stupid though, that is when accidents happen so they had better be careful.  At this point there are a few ways for people to leave accident, illness, weight, and overwhelmed.  I can't see anyone leaving because they finished what ever level they reaches, like Lucas and Nichole or boredom.

As to why they do other things than fish and forage, it is dangerous to do those things after dark or in a big storm or sometime when your mind is distracted.   was one of the brothers foraging with a flashlight? I can't remember, but the light is not part of their gear, but part of the camera film yourself gear, not sure if you can use it for foraging even if you are filming yourself. 

OK, I did laugh when one of you said something about "crying wolf", reminds me of the end of show previews in season 2 where they kept showing a wolf attacking in every preview, but the wolf never showed up in any regular show.  this time I noticed last week they showed a piece of film that did not show this week, must be next week. 

[humbleopinion]

All 6 participants getting skinnier and skinnier.

Ted and Jim complain the loudest and their once giant bodies want food...plus they had pie in the sky expectations that they would be able to hunt, fish, crab throughout their time on the island.

The others are stoics and knew this part of the adventure was a real possibility...especially for the win...

 Sam and Brooke are gaunt.

Hard to tell about Pete...just a small portion of his face pokes out of his slicker.

Dave looks the strongest.

The starving phase of Alone has begun...

[Robodude]

I love the brothers enthusiasm....when there's something for them to be enthusiastic about.  That "Bro-raderie" was something I thought would force them through tough times but it looks like Jim The Lazy is going to send them home next week (or whichever of them has stomach issues that they previewed). 

Give Ted credit.  If it were just him...in the "traditional Alone" style, I'd put money on him to go far and maybe even win.  He's the one that collected HUNDREDS of limpets and even said "This is how people win this game".  I have absolutely no idea how Jim thinks they'll go even another few days without food.

One other note... While they said that all their projects have failed, they've built the BEST boat that anyone has ever built on all seasons of Alone.  It's too bad they're not smart enough to ensure that the float they're using for the crab trap....the ONLY thing that lets them bring the trap back up...... would actually.....you know.... FLOAT!

Dave and Brooke for the win at this point barring some unforeseen circumstance.....or if she shrivels up and medical pulls them.

[pagooey]

Quote

While discussing their lack of food, the brothers twice said if things don't turn around they could starve to death.  Dudes, you DO have a remedy so you won't literally starve to death - it's that emergency phone.  If you are so dumb to let yourselves starve, you guys are a lost cause.

Also, production is checking up on you two idiots every week or so. Oy. I figured Camp Numbnuts would be destroyed (read: tarp on stick toootally knocked ooover, eh?) when they finally came to blows...but the Butt Brothers might fool me by getting too weak to pummel each other first. 

Major kudos to Brooke for staying calm enough to kick/push out the burning chimney from the inside and save the cabin and everything they had. My first instinct would definitely have been "run screaming out of burning structure," so...reason 1,468 why I am not on this show. 

[TVbitch]

I wish they all would've fattened up more beforehand. Heck, even on Survivor the returning players know to come with 20 extra pounds, and they get fed all the time. (Maybe the producers could throw in a "Reward Challenge" since they've already ruined this season.)  :)

Call me a softie, but I was hoping the boys were gonna save their ill-fated crab trap. Sneaky was looking mighty suspicious by the boat. Maybe he was sick of hearing them bicker too and tampered with it. I do hope they come to some sort of realization/redemption, although they are probably too starved to do that now until either near-death or after the show. I don't think they are bad guys really, just doofus squabblers. 

[GreyBunny]

Brooke and Dave prepared well...except they failed to pack on extra weight before going on, which is Reality 101 for any show where food is limited.  If they go home early it'll be because they failed to do what even Survivor contestants know to do. [Ninja'd by TVbitch. :) ]

The Fart Twins are loose teeth that need to be pulled. Shut up and go home. I hope you're haunted by nightmares of giant limpets for the rest of your days. I still hope Sneaky flips their boat, I bet he ate the bait in the crab trap, not that it matters since the dummies couldn't tie a simple knot to secure it for retrieval.

Edited August 4, 2017 by GreyBunny

[rmontro]

4 hours ago, Tighthead said:

Its hard when you are depleted and exhausted, but they need to sit down and make a plan.  Something like "lets put up   4 days of food and then both do nothing but fish for three days to conserve energy and hopefully get more food."

The problem is with the ginger brothers, you would never be able to get them to agree on anything.

2 hours ago, holly4755 said:

OK, I did laugh when one of you said something about "crying wolf", reminds me of the end of show previews in season 2 where they kept showing a wolf attacking in every preview, but the wolf never showed up in any regular show.  this time I noticed last week they showed a piece of film that did not show this week, must be next week. 

That was my comment, and that was the exact reference I was trying to make.  Kudos to you for picking up on it.

57 minutes ago, Robodude said:

Dave and Brooke for the win at this point barring some unforeseen circumstance.....or if she shrivels up and medical pulls them.

My concern is that the Bairds are either so stupid or they get so involved in their fighting that they forget they are on a TV show, that they end up winning because they forget all about the button.  Or maybe they lose the button at the bottom of a lake.

I will say one thing for them.  Nobody here expected their boat to float, but it actually may be the best built boat we've seen on the show.  Not that it's done them any good.  So far it's only helped them lose their crab trap.

[holly4755]

dave said he put on weight, but I think it is harder for a woman to do it, people would ask why she is gaining, and she has 2 small children, not to mention she does not seem like a person who can sit still. those cabin decorations did not make themselves. 

 

Sorry rmontro, I read a post, the dog wants to go out, I read another post and the dog wants to come in, I think I am a living gatekeeper for her.  it makes me forget where I read something and what I read.  Last night she was going out every half hour, I think she is bored, because I can't walk very far, sprained my knee, stuck in the house for 6 weeks now. I can walk on a flat surface but stairs still kill me, and me going outside means stairs. I do it but while a lot. 

Edited August 4, 2017 by holly4755

[humbleopinion]

Jim, age 32 was the hiker so maybe he is convinced he has earned the right to have lazy /spent days and let Ted, age 35 do the limpet hunting.

Our tender ears have a hard time adjusting to the volume, level of meanness and impatience in their tone but that's how siblings talk to each other...especially hungry, tired and stressed brothers.

Everyone has to carry their yellow brick with them so keeping them together in a safe  to prevent each other from pressing the button is not allowed.

That's what each brother is afraid of...Jim will get so pissed at Ted that he will push the button without telling him and giving Ted a chance to talk him out of quitting.

Ted may get fed up with Jim's low energy and lack of work ethic and push the button to just end doing all the heavy lifting.

[ramble]

Argh! Ugh! Ick! Glurg! I'm trying out words instead of cursing because this show makes me want to rant and rave. Disclaimer: I don't care to learn anyone's names because I'm a sad, bitter viewer who misses the actual show Alone, about people being, well, alone.

I feel like the producers are doubling down on showing the annoying brothers to drive home the point that this show is no longer Alone. Forget quiet introspection or thoughtful observations, now it's complaining in stereo, with bonus whiny noise. I hoped that the prevalence of the brothers on screen meant they were tapping. Sadly, I was wrong. 

I like the husband and wife. They seem to have such a great relationship. However for some reason they bore me a bit. I can imagine either one of them being a great contestant on Alone, but together they just make me vaguely uninterested. I enjoy the father and son also. I find their relationship quite touching. I still don't like the pair interaction, but I would like to see a little more of their story. 

[AZChristian]

1 hour ago, TVbitch said:

Sneaky was looking mighty suspicious by the boat. Maybe he was sick of hearing them bicker too and tampered with it. 

I think Sneaky chewed through the rope between the "float" and the crab trap.  He's been having crabcakes several times a day.  When they ALMOST were able to pull up the trap because it was twisted into the kelp, Sneaky went under and chewed through the kelp, too.

Yay, Sneaky!!!

[Robodude]

What happened to eating kelp?  The winner of Season 2 (Dave) was seen constantly rolling up the kelp leaves...or seaweed...whatever it was...and munching it which didn't provide much nutrition but kept his belly full.  He'd go out when the tide was low and grab a bunch as well as whatever he could find in the rocks. 

This IS the same island from that season...  hmmm..

[Robodude]

Wow.  I just read the Q&A with the season 2 winner (david) and learned some really interesting things.  Sorry if this is not new to readers....

He could have been told how many others were left playing during his weekly health checks but he chose not to be told.

Q: Before you knew you won, towards the end how many people did you think were still out there?

• A:  “They asked a few times if I wanted to know how many were left and I never let them tell me."

Q:  Were you worried about running into other contestants?  What were the rules about that"

• A;  “They told me I had no limits on where I could go. We carried the Yellowbrick GPS tracker whenever away from camp.  They said if I ever got close to someone they would send a tone and tell me to turn around. It was never an issue for me.”

[Liberty]

8 minutes ago, Robodude said:

Wow.  I just read the Q&A with the season 2 winner (david) and learned some really interesting things.  Sorry if this is not new to readers....

He could have been told how many others were left playing during his weekly health checks but he chose not to be told.

Before you knew you won, towards the end how many people did you think were still out there?

A:  “They asked a few times if I wanted to know how many were left and I never let them tell me."

....

That really damages my perception of the show.

[Auntie Anxiety]

Why would they offer any information whatsoever? So they lied to the audience. Great.

I've become increasingly skeptical about all manner of reality tv and I hoped that maybe, possibly, this show was different (although all bets were off for this latest incarnation of Alone, Except Not). Not sure about anyone else, but I'm at the end of the road with reality tv. I'll continue to catch The Last Alaskans and Life Below Zero and that's about it.

[riverheightsnancy]

1 hour ago, Robodude said:

What happened to eating kelp?  The winner of Season 2 (Dave) was seen constantly rolling up the kelp leaves...or seaweed...whatever it was...and munching it which didn't provide much nutrition but kept his belly full.  He'd go out when the tide was low and grab a bunch as well as whatever he could find in the rocks. 

This IS the same island from that season...  hmmm..

Alan (Season 1 winner) ate tons of seaweed and Mike (the one who missed his wife so much) had a whole exhibit on bull kelp, how to eat it and cook it, if memory serves. The show was so much better season 1 & 2. Why the hell did they change it?  

[mylesdogga]

In reference to the butt brothers, try starving with nothing to do, stuck with one of your brothers or sisters... You're bound to get irate sooner or later.

I feel like a couple would be different because that is the  family you pick, not the one your'e forced to have in your life, and any father/son relationship would naturally involve a great amount of respect from the son to dad, and a protective, fatherly nature of the dad.... A sibling relationship is just different... In these conditions, this reaction is bound to be expected

..and en reference to the new set up of the season, it es not as good as previous seasons... BUT es is still one of the best shows on tv (any recommendations?) which i'm currently watching, so i'm grateful it's still here. 

Also the 2 people give a good, different perspective on how surviving alone with another person could effect you. You either thrive, or use the other as a scapegoat (i.e the bro who manipulated his brother a go home y see his kids birthday).

 

 

BTW loving this forum guys! Keep up the good work :)

[raven]

6 hours ago, Robodude said:

Give Ted credit.  If it were just him...in the "traditional Alone" style, I'd put money on him to go far and maybe even win.  He's the one that collected HUNDREDS of limpets and even said "This is how people win this game". 

I thought this as well.  I think he would be a good single contestant; the problem, like I thought in the beginning, is that they both need a lot of calories.  There should be a show about that...a single person trying to survive with only basic camping gear and no contact with another human being for however long it takes.  Sounds like an interesting idea!

The brothers don't annoy me.  I think Jim is ready to go home and they're both hungry.  When I'm as hungry as they probably are, I can be obnoxious to be around.  With the Not-Alone theme, we're missing not just the introspection but how each individual mentally overcomes obstacles.  With someone else there you have someone to bitch to, if you feel like complaining and waste time with that rather than solving problems.  Sure, F'n Larry would bitch to the camera but he was the exception - it's easier to carry on a bitch fest when you have someone responding to you.

Pete's lesson about building the ladder is what I like about the show - being creative and explaining your thought process, making something useful.  I like the Pete/Sam dynamic and hope they win. 

I don't know why but I'm waiting for Brooke to break out with how much she misses her family.  Now that Dave is hear, we don't hear too much from Brooke except how much she needs to eat.  Though she has skills, I don't think she would have done well by herself; she enjoyed her alone time but knew Dave would be there - a huge psychological boost.

So I think I'm going to judge everyone on how they would fare if they were really "Alone".  Ted and Pete would do well.  Dave could do it but I don't know if he would have applied by himself.  Brooke and Sam, though nice seeming people, would miss being around other people I think.  Jim forget it; he's not even willing to forage.

They could be eating kelp (Ted talks in a VO about foraging for crabs, seaweed and limpets).  Remember how we all thought Nicole had almost no food and then in subsequent interviews she talked about drying and hanging fish?  We never saw any of that.   Dave McIntyre says this about it, and I don't remember seeing any of it, all I remember is him finding the crabs in the rocks, though I could be forgetting:

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At one point, I had an entire gallon Ziplock filled with it. I ate dried kelp at a faster rate than I produced it and resorted to hanging fresh kelp heads in the trees out front to let the rain and sun work on it. Kelp adds bulk and nutrition to the diet. Having a second person would allow one to dry kelp while the other fished. With their constant fire, drying kelp could be an easy evening activity for Brooke and Dave. I tended to spend most of my low tide fishing as it produced much more food, but on days when the fishing didn’t pay off I foraged for limpets or hand caught eels and the tiny crabs under the rocks.

 

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as one participant is forced to fight a raging fire,

LOL.  I don't think this phrase means what the producers think it means.

[holly4755]

Kelp - one of the barid bros has trouble eating it, but we don't know if he cooks it down to cut the salt and fiber. some people have to do that. 

[Drogo]

Just trying to imagine how amazing that crab must have tasted to them.  

[TVbitch]

I am bummed to hear Dave was offered info on how many were left during his medical visits. If they did that again last season, that makes it especially heartbreaking for ones medically pulled when it was down to 3 or that poor girl at 2. Maybe they think it will encourage some to tap early and end stagers to hang on. But Brooke made a big deal this epi to say how much it bothered her not knowing how many were left. So... (?!)  

3 hours ago, Auntie Anxiety said:

I'll continue to catch The Last Alaskans and Life Below Zero and that's about it.

Do these shows follow the same people year after year, or is it a competition format? Can one jump into the current season or do you have to start at Season 1? Which show is better? 

Edited August 5, 2017 by TVbitch

[Auntie Anxiety]

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1 hour ago, TVbitch said:

Do these shows follow the same people year after year, or is it a competition format? Can one jump into the current season or do you have to start at Season 1? Which show is better? 

 

The shows follow the same people year after year, basically in a documentary format. If I had to pick one, it would be The Last Alaskans because it seems very real (no contrived situations, just people living their lives) and it is bittersweet, since the people are among the last to be allowed to live in the preserve. 

If the Gingers tap out next week, I won't miss them or their junior high school arguments. If I wanted that, I'd step into my own personal Way Back Machine and listen to my two sons fighting in the backseat on a long road trip.

[rmontro]

9 hours ago, humbleopinion said:

Jim, age 32 was the hiker so maybe he is convinced he has earned the right to have lazy /spent days and let Ted, age 35 do the limpet hunting.

Not to nitpick, but Jim is 35 and Ted is 32.  It does look like Ted might have made a pretty good solo contestant.

Does anyone else feel sorry for the crabs that might wander into that lost crab trap?  They'll probably never get out of there.  Hopefully it landed door down into the mud.

For those complaining about the format change, if it weren't for the ginger brothers the show wouldn't be that bad right now.  I don't mind the experiment, but I would prefer the original format.

The funny thing is, the producers probably thought that this was exactly what they wanted, a couple of family members who fought like cats and dogs.  They were probably hoping for high drama and a lot of conflict.  But it's all the bickering that's ruining the show.  The other two couples have healthier relationships and they are a much bigger pleasure to watch.

Edited August 5, 2017 by rmontro