Naked and Afraid XL - General Discussion

[Subrookie]

I thought they made the shelter too tall. Even there it's cold at night. They don't seem to trap any heat. 

I did think the fishing thing was funny. Russell had just told that woman not to scare away all the fish, then proceeded to throw the net like he had no idea what he was doing. Shannon shows up and he downplayed how many fish she got..after he scared all the fish away. He's an ass. I don't know how people like that get on in the world. He clearly is taking credit for all Matt did, when he had nothing to do with how well he and Matt were doing. 

[ghoulina]

Yup, that shelter is too tall. Letting all the heat up. I don't see why they wouldn't try to expand it or build a new one when the group tripled in size. Make it shorter, but wider. 

[Auntie Anxiety]

On 5/16/2017 at 10:57 AM, ghoulina said:

Yup, that shelter is too tall. Letting all the heat up. I don't see why they wouldn't try to expand it or build a new one when the group tripled in size. Make it shorter, but wider. 

I wondered about that too. Or they could have made the fire wider and bigger? It's not they are so starved that they couldn't think straight. And with do many idle hands in the group, what else was more pressing?

[Chewy101]

Problem with sleeping during the day is someone else will accuse Shannon of not "contributing." I'd have a hard time sleeping if everyone else was working on something. 

Matt had some real class how he watched Russel take credit for crap and didn't even bother correcting him. 

On 5/15/2017 at 11:11 PM, roctavia said:

While I personally would never actually go on a show like this, If I did, I figure I'd try and spend most of my down time weaving.. maybe some sandals, maybe a rug,  how about a blanket type thing... come on! Especially with 6 people, someone can tend fire, do water, do the fishing... others can work on the shelter/ weave stuff...

We have seen previous contestants do all of the above- including a blanket. Not one of these contestants seems to have learned a thing from previous seasons. 

Edited May 20, 2017 by Chewy101

[ghoulina]

15 hours ago, Chewy101 said:

 

Problem with sleeping during the day is someone else will accuse Shannon on not "contributing." I'd have a hard time sleeping if everyone else was working on something. 

 

That's a good point. Although, I think when Fernando and Shannon were still alone it may have worked. He knew how badly her sleep issues were affecting her. She could have just told him, "Hey, since I'm struggling to sleep at night, I'm going to take a nap in the late afternoon (when it's the hottest) into early evening, and then I can be on duty when you're ready to go to bed". That way she could still get stuff done in the morning and contribute to things around camp. But yea, in a larger group it would be harder; there would be a lot more commotion around camp. 

Edited May 19, 2017 by ghoulina

[Chewy101]

18 hours ago, ghoulina said:

She could have just told him, "Hey, since I'm struggling to sleep at night, I'm going to take a nap in the late afternoon (when it's the hottest) into early evening, and then I can be on duty when you're ready to go to bed".

He did suggest this, but she complained she could not sleep during the day either. So as annoying as she must be to be be around in camp these days, as an insomniac, she is likely suffering, too. The whole thing sucks. Being unable to do what you were made to do to thrive does not bode well on anyone involved. And she can't exactly retreat and not inflict herself on anyone, so I am waiting for some snap. She and Russel duking it out in the mud would not disappoint me.

[Liberty]

Poor Chance

[Dishin]

I really didn't like Chance at all...until he decided to stay in camp. What a nightmare to be thrust into.Russell is a bloviating egotistical turd, and I am losing my love for Fernando for not setting him straight. Melissa, you were smart to keep going.

[LittleIggy]

Would a cayman just please eat Russell? Ugh!

[Liberty]

On 5/15/2017 at 3:07 PM, seasick said:

"when worlds collide".  ...  I think from another XL or episode.  In fact I think it may have been planned from the beginning because I think starting off this season with 9 was less than normal. It just works out well now due to so many losses.    

Excellent call SEASICK!

[ghoulina]

I was back and forth with Chance. He often came off as a real arrogant, sexist prick at times. One of the things that he said in his interview - "I feel like a man when I do things no one else can do" (paraphrasing) - really put me off. How about getting pride from doing things YOU never did before? 

But ultimately I ended up liking him because I think he's just a sad, lonely person, with a horrible background, who DOES want to change. He recognized his bad behavior and apologized for it every time. He tried stepping outside of his comfort zone and being a part of a team. 

So yea, I felt bad when he was all excited to stay with the XL crew and one day in gets slapped in the face by what a non-family they are. 

Russel is the anti-Chase. His macho mentality is even worse, AND he has no self awareness. I don't think he'd apologize under penalty of death. He's always right and he's apparently the only person out there who can get anything done. Is it wrong that I was praying the snake in their shelter was a poisonous one and that it would bite him in the face???

I understand Shannon's frustrations with Russell, but I don't see why it's on Fernando to set him straight. Fernando just seems like a go with the flow kind of guy. I think he'd prefer to avoid conflict, and that's his choice. Maybe he sees Russel as such a tool that his behavior doesn't really bother him. If Russel's behavior bothers Shannon so much (as it would be), SHE should lay into him. She's no delicate flower. I think she could take that jerk on just fine on her own. 

[Lesia]

Man it would've been great if 2 indigenous peoples with blow darts just annihilated them all.  "When worlds collide..." Yeah, um no.

[Cobb Salad]

It was nice of Melissa and Chance to let Russell, et al use their raft to catch fish.  Watching that I was wondering what would happen if it fell apart during that time, would the group have helped them build another one for extraction?  Was there anything where they were to even build one for themselves?  

Re: Chance helping with Melissa's extraction, I couldn't imagine navigating the 3 miles back alone like that!

[Lesia]

OMG I think they were rafting like a foot a minute.  how long did it take to go three miles?  and then Chance had to GO BACK???

no thank you. 

[lovesnark]

Russell, sweetheart, darlin', hon. You are not the king of the jungle, you are not the only one with the ability to find food, you are not the leader of your tribe. Please, for the love of pete, SHUT UP! I loathe people who call me hon or sweetheart or some other name when they've just met me or are a cashier at a store or something. If I was one of the women there, I would have killed Russell and eaten him by now.

[Jbw80]

Ugggh Russell. Anyone feel like this is alternate ending to the lion king?? 

 

[Liberty]

It's sad how Russell most likely wanted to be remembered as a fine leader and provider, but will be remembered as an unpleasant person.

[ClareWalks]

I continue to be baffled that anyone is allowing Russell to hog vital survival equipment for his own personal use. I would have just taken the damn cast net, said I'm gonna use it for an hour, and if he complained I would have suggested he go fuck himself to pass that time. Seriously, it's not like he is using the cast net constantly. Just take it and use it when he's not out fishing. 

[AZChristian]

That poor guy who joined them while extracting from his own 21-day challenge.  He thought he had found a place to belong - a new family.  Unfortunately, after a couple of days he realized that the new family was just as dysfunctional as his real family.  No wonder he was voicing regrets in his talking head segments.

Russell:  You are only "all that" in your own mind.  Rather than complain that no one else is catching fish, gracefully train them.  And is it true that you come back with fish every time you go out there, or is that part of your delusion?  

[Lion18]

I like Chance a lot. Plus his looks don't hurt

He came off as macho but he learned a lot from his partner and that's huge to be able to change. With his childhood he probably didn't develop social skills. Now he is with this family that seemed nice but is falling apart each minute that passes. I hope it doesn't make him resort back to his loner ways

what a coincidence that one show meets another. Ha!

[zoemom]

On ‎5‎/‎23‎/‎2017 at 7:16 AM, Liberty said:

It's sad how Russell most likely wanted to be remembered as a fine leader and provider, but will be remembered as an unpleasant person.

I believe it was last week, but I saw Russell's "original" 21 day episode.  IIRC, he was an ass to his partner during the 21 days; ironically, despite all of his macho posturing, he started to struggle when they were swimming to the rescue boat at the end, and his partner (who was a saint in my eyes) had to go back to help him make it.  He's an ass, I'm not sure why they asked him back (probably because he was such an arrogant ass - helps with ratings).

I'd really like to see the "mighty hunter" that he claims he is go one on one with one of those wild boars/pigs.  He's one of those types that's all talk with very little action.

[Chewy101]

Chance got one heck of a partner to both challenge him and have the patience to let him figure out the "why's" of his reactions. She never lashed out and you could see how often she had to hold her tongue and not start something. I feel like he grew a lot, and sadly, on this show the military men rarely do that. So Chance finally opens up and feels safe, and then falls for the group from hell because they were on their best behaviour for a day. He is going to lose it.

Russel is evil. If someone achieves something, his ego is wounded, but if everyone lets him have all the glory, he gives everyone hell for not contributing. The way he talks to people is unbelievable. And if he brings one more catch back to camp, addressing the women as cooks, I swear. He never caught a thing when Matt was there. Because there is only ONE net, and that's just how it works. I don't even like any of the women, but Russel's attitude is delusional and demeaning. He both idolized and resented Matt, and if he can't turn Chance against the women so Chance will retreat, he is going to be in trouble. Sadly, I don't think Chance understands the true source of the drama, so it looks like he is going to fall in line and hide away. His beautiful 21 days is going to be ruined by the worst final 20 days ever. All because Russel won't bust a knee or catch a bacteria in his foot.

Edited May 29, 2017 by Chewy101

[88Keys]

Russell sucks, but honestly, the girls were getting on my nerves, too.  One of them (Shannon?) seems to be trying to get everyone else as worked up about Russell as she is.  It just seems like high school drama, in my opinion.  And it was kind of stupid of them to think they need a "plan" in the middle of a hunt.  There's one bow, so there's really no need for six people to go along at the same time.  

I think EVERYONE in this group needs to realize that every job is important.  Getting food, cooking food, bringing firewood, tending the fire, weaving a shelter....it all matters.  It's not women's work, or men's work.  It's team work.  It's all important.

I don't think Chance is mentally well enough to be in this challenge right now.  I say that with the utmost respect, but I think for his own sake, he needs to tap out.

[Dishin]

Testosterone overload! Testosterone overload!

 

Those men got on my last nerve. I hope they form a circle around the magical appearing pig, and miss it and shoot each other.

[riverblue22]

The guys are jerks but I'm getting sick of the girls too.  Okay Russell is a jerk and the other "boys" are on his side.  That's what you have, so suck it up.  You are not stuck with Russell forever, just a couple of more weeks.  It was a great idea to go further for fishing and now that it works they may be able to contribute more from the fishing end.  I don't expect that Russell will kill a pig.

This season is so dull, and I think they are trying to make Chance look like a mentally unstable person that could go off on the rest of them.  I understand that he is struggling emotionally but I think the editing is trying to suggest more.

[LittleIggy]

I'm sick of them complaining about their feet. Why hasn't anyone at least tried to make sandals? That would be more productive than sitting around bitching. And why are they sleeping on the ground when they know that the ants swarm at night? I saw only one person sleeping on a raised platform.

Edited May 29, 2017 by LittleIggy

[riverblue22]

35 minutes ago, LittleIggy said:

I'm sick of them complaining about their feet. Why hasn't anyone at least tried to make sandals? That would be more productive than sitting around bitching. And why are they sleeping on the ground when they know that the ants swarm at night? I saw only one person sleeping on a raised platform.

I saw a show earlier today where the big macho marine tapped out and the Georgia peach girl made it to the end.  Her rating went up quite a bit.  But anyway, before her extraction hike she made herself a pair of shoes with palm leaves and cordage.  I've only seen that done a few times but you would think they would all do it--it's not that hard!

[Maggie Mae]

Shelter 1.1,  fire, SHOES ( even if they need to be remade every couple of days), shelter 2.1, weave blankets/floor mats/ clothing, food, shelter 3.1...

Food could go before the weaving but seriously, most don't take shelter building seriously enough and for god's sake, get off the jungle floor!  Also, get as many rocks as available around your fire- they retain heat and if you set it up right, can protect the fire from rain.

i do like the high shelter they built as it's easier during the day. That's where shelter 3.1 comes in- build smaller cozier sleeping areas within the larger one maybe. 

My 2 ¢... It's always so much easier as an observer, not a participant.

[88Keys]

13 hours ago, riverblue22 said:

The guys are jerks but I'm getting sick of the girls too.  Okay Russell is a jerk and the other "boys" are on his side.  That's what you have, so suck it up.  You are not stuck with Russell forever, just a couple of more weeks.  It was a great idea to go further for fishing and now that it works they may be able to contribute more from the fishing end.  I don't expect that Russell will kill a pig.

This season is so dull, and I think they are trying to make Chance look like a mentally unstable person that could go off on the rest of them.  I understand that he is struggling emotionally but I think the editing is trying to suggest more.

That's what I was getting at.  Russell is not going to change, so quit going around trying to stir up drama.  Everyone else is trying to deal with it the best they can and not make things worse.

And I agree about Chance.  I do think this experience is hard on him, but the producers are trying to make it look like he might start killing everyone around him, which is really crappy of them.  A lot of what is happening seems scripted to me.  I can just imagine the producers in the background, egging on the drama. 

5 hours ago, Maggie Mae said:

Shelter 1.1,  fire, SHOES ( even if they need to be remade every couple of days), shelter 2.1, weave blankets/floor mats/ clothing, food, shelter 3.1...

Food could go before the weaving but seriously, most don't take shelter building seriously enough and for god's sake, get off the jungle floor!  Also, get as many rocks as available around your fire- they retain heat and if you set it up right, can protect the fire from rain.

i do like the high shelter they built as it's easier during the day. That's where shelter 3.1 comes in- build smaller cozier sleeping areas within the larger one maybe. 

My 2 ¢... It's always so much easier as an observer, not a participant.

I've never understood why no one even tries to make shoes.  Yes, you would have to keep remaking them, but it's not like they don't have enough time.

I do think it was probably a good idea for the group to split for a couple of days.  They were thoroughly sick of each other and needed a break.  I mean, Fernando seemed like such a positive person at first, but in the last few episodes, he seems miserable.  Last night, with the guys, was the first time we've seen him smile in days.  Maybe being apart will revitalize them a bit and they can finish the challenge a bit more united. 

[AZChristian]

And why is no one making cots so they're not sleeping on the ground?  I'm not good at sitting around and doing nothing when there are materials to do so many things to make life a little more pleasant.

[Meowwww]

Just watched this ep.  

Being a Ranger, I bet Chance could have taken that bow and gotten a pig, blindfolded and facing backwards.  I am just WAITING for him to take charge.  My money says he will.  

[piequinn35]

Bring back Matt, bring back Matt!

ps. Canada is one week behind :(

[Toaster Strudel]

Shannon really annoys me.  She is a whiner with a negative attitude, and she instigates drama too, trying to get others to do her bidding. 

At least Russ is effective and is working a lot.  They're trying to survive in the wilderness, it's not time to worry about first world social constructs.

[Liberty]

16 minutes ago, Toaster Strudel said:

Shannon really annoys me.  She is a whiner with a negative attitude, and she instigates drama too, trying to get others to do her bidding. 
 

IIRC Shannon said something like 'I'm as strong as any of the men, I could kick any of their asses'.  Somehow while she may be right about Fernando and Russell, Chance is a really well put together fellow with a unique set of skills.  Sleep deprivation, hunger and anger seem to make people blind to the reality of the situation.

It does seem like Amber, Shannon and Russell offer some real challenges socially.  Fernando, Geovanna and Chance seem much more flexible and cooperative. 

When the 6 split up, 3 to hunt, 1 to pole fish, 2 to cast the net, it was a significant change from their previous practice of all members doing the same thing at the same time.

Those ant attacks must have been really miserable.

[riverblue22]

I came in to this show disliking Shannon from her original show.  And isn't Amber the broken boob implant girl who tapped out twice?  She is so annoying with her complaining about Russell.  The third girl I like.  This season's XL is so different from last year's show.  Maybe it is hard to find people willing to do this for 40 days.

[piequinn35]

Poor Matt was in the hospital for 1 week, I liked him in his 21-day challenge, he is a good guy, why him? bring him back in season 4 XL, he wants to. 

http://www.westword.com/arts/naked-and-afraid-xl-contestant-matt-wright-felled-by-flesh-eating-bacteria-9068804

[ghoulina]

Damn, Matt lost more weight from his week in the hospital than he did from his THREE weeks in the jungle! Poor guy. 

I agree that with Matt gone, it's hard to find someone to root for. I really wish that Chance's partner had stayed, and Shannon had gone home. I liked seeing those two work together. These people all seem to hate each other. 

[Subrookie]

If the ants are that bad they could always spread coals around the area they are sleeping in. This is the part of this and the regular show I have the biggest problem with. There are some common sense things these people could do like surrounding their camp with coals or sleeping off the ground to keep the ants away or after a week of being bitten alive by mosquitoes they don't cover themselves with mud. 

[PaperTree]

On 5/29/2017 at 8:35 AM, Maggie Mae said:

Also, get as many rocks as available around your fire- they retain heat and if you set it up right, can protect the fire from rain.

I remember a woman on "Alone" who built this killer hearth just for those reasons.

And yes!  The shoes, the shoes... Early on, I thought production wouldn't allow it, but we have seen it done a couple of times so wth?  Same with weaving blankets.

Another thing I wonder about is the fish traps.  They all look very small to me so you would only catch small fish.  Bait?  They never seem to work very well anyway.

[Maggie Mae]

Russell taps out and leaves Chance by himself after trying to get him to tap with him. Then it looks like he takes the bow and arrow with him!!  

[PaperTree]

Chance is one tough dude!  Good for him hanging in there.

The women did a good job not celebrating Russel's demise in front of Chance.

Russell has to live with this forever.  LOL    His bros will abuse him constantly.

[Toaster Strudel]

Will did Russell tap out? I didn't see that...

[88Keys]

Chance: Russell really took me under his wing and made me feel like I had a family.

Russell: Well, it's cold.  See ya, brother. 

[Auntie Anxiety]

Russell bailing on Chance was such an insult. Poor Chance. Yeah, sometimes families suck (I just finished watching Bloodline so this comment seemed fitting). I was annoyed that the group didn't ask Chance if he needed something to eat. Poor guy looked so broken. I hope he contacted Melissa upon his return to civilization because she seemed to be a person who understood him and could help him get his head straight.

[ramble]

The women were kind of hateful when Fernando showed up, keeping what he saw as a promise to the group. I agree the bro-crap had gotten old, but good grief that was unnecessary. 

A younger me would want to take Chance on as a project to give him family & love & "fix" him. I tried that with a couple of guys who didn't have the loyalty & determination he has. It didn't work & was an ugly mess. My heart breaks for him. He just screams of a need for some unconditional love & a people to call family. I wonder if he's really quoting Ranger creeds & oaths as often as the editors are showing it. I can imagine repeating whatever it took to get through things, especially the never-ending rain experience. (Reason #572 I'd never do this show.) 

Little Russell couldn't take the cold & had to tap out. I guess he isn't The Provider after all. He seems to have no self-awareness. The one throw away comment about hoping he came off well & his son not being ashamed of him was slightly comical after the repetitive remarks he'd made about his superiority. His goodbye was welcome. 

[LAgator77]

Shannon's 5 o'clock shadow is KILLING me.

Chance and Russel couldn't cuddle for warmth? It won't make you gay. 

Chance is one tough SOB.

[ghoulina]

I really feel for Chance at this point. Dude has got to have some major abandonment issues. Fuck Russel.  Not necessarily for being wimpy enough to tap at this point (the girls are just as "skinny" as he is, so STFU), but because Chance stayed behind for HIM - and then he goes an abandons him. Gah, I hope I never have to see that douche weasel on my television set again. One more week and he couldn't hack the rain. Hmmm, maybe if you weren't so intent on proving what a billy badass you were, you'd be back around the fire and doing fine. I notice he criticized the girls' shelter for leaking, but I didn't see THEIR fire going out. 

The girls don't get a pass from me either. The way they responded to Fernando coming back was incredibly rude. He was trying to be nice and stick by what they said. I get that the girls had a nice break while the guys were gone, but Fernando has been pretty harmless, so I see no reason to be complete bitches to him after he just trekked through the jungle by himself. 

Speaking of Fernando, dude is morphing into a Werewolf. Just how much higher up his face can his hair go? It's going to be right under his eyeballs next week!

[AZChristian]

I can kind of understand why the women were a bit cold to Fernando.  He was part of the conversation about going pig hunting . . . but never once asked the women if any of them wanted to go.  It was all the "penis holders" planning to go off and do their manly thing, and leaving the little women home alone.  If he really cared about a commitment to the women, he'd have treated them as equals and included them in the conversation.

Russell tapped because he knew he wasn't going to get a pig, and he didn't want to deal with the justified put-downs from the women.  It would have been sweet to see them - bellies full and fire going strong - when he came crawling back to camp, one step shy of hypothermia and freezing to death.  By the way, how sweet was the editing to show the women thriving and the men suffering.  The men missed the women, but the women didn't miss them one bit.  I loved the "Shhh, listen" followed by "That's the sound of Russell NOT talking."

I hope that Chance learns that one should only be loyal to those who reciprocate.  Russell wouldn't have lasted one minute in a Ranger squadron, and he knows it (although it would never admit it to himself or anyone else).

[88Keys]

On 6/4/2017 at 11:49 PM, Auntie Anxiety said:

Russell bailing on Chance was such an insult. Poor Chance. Yeah, sometimes families suck (I just finished watching Bloodline so this comment seemed fitting). I was annoyed that the group didn't ask Chance if he needed something to eat.

I thought that, too, until I remembered that they probably didn't have anything to eat.  They had been sitting in the shelter for two days of rain, so they probably ate up any food they had left.

On 6/5/2017 at 8:42 AM, AZChristian said:

 

Russell tapped because he knew he wasn't going to get a pig, and he didn't want to deal with the justified put-downs from the women.  It would have been sweet to see them - bellies full and fire going strong - when he came crawling back to camp, one step shy of hypothermia and freezing to death.

I was just coming here to post the same thing.  Russell didn't tap out because he was cold.  He just didn't want to have to face the girls with no pig. 

Chance is amazing.  He has no real reason to stay, especially since he completed his original challenge.  But he does just because he wants to complete the mission and not let the team down. 

Edited June 10, 2017 by 88Keys

[ClareWalks]

I deleted last week's episode without watching it because I was so fuckin' sick of Russell's bullshit. I saw that the episode description said a survivalist leaves, so I fast-forwarded thinking "it BETTER BE RUSSELL, that douchehole," and thank the gods it was indeed him! Now I can watch the whole episode last week without wanting to throw something at my TV!