S05.E10: Cold War

[cooksdelight]

3 minutes ago, roamyn said:

As far as the med evac, I’m convinced it’s for the person who got charged by the wolf in S2 previews.

Yeah, he and the wolf were probably both taken out! HAHAHA!!

[Yeah No]

5 hours ago, ChristmasJones said:

I enjoyed listening to the personal, some might even call spiritual, insights that the final three all realized by the end of their journeys. I had the sense that for each of them, this round in Mongolia really did help them achieve some inner wisdom and that they will be able to apply this in their daily lives when they get back. I thought that was really cool and interesting. Sam's insight that when he was on the first time he was angry and frustrated about everything he didn't have and how this time he realized if he shifted to appreciation and gratitude for what he did have in the environment, it helped him cope better was neat to hear. Its a tool that can be very helpful in daily life.

I know, Sam's parting insights truly touched and impressed me with their wisdom and maturity.  Being alone for so long forces a person to think about what's really important in life, and what they can do to be better people, because all the distractions of modern life are taken away.  I loved how both he and Larry reframed their experience this time and came away with a positive feeling about it.  For me, that redeems this season from any of its failings.  This kind of experience can help a person grow both emotionally and spiritually in ways that will serve them all through their lives.  It's one reason Christian mystics and other spiritual types traditionally go alone out in nature to get closer to God and re-center themselves.  That's the thing I love about this show more than anything else.

[MostlyContent]

6 hours ago, roamyn said:

I read somewhere that at each med check they interview them, so when it does get to that point, they are not tipped off.  

I've heard several of the contestants say that the med check every-so-often is just that.  The medical people are not allowed to have convos about anything else.  No 'how are the <choose team> doing'.  No 'what is the news lately'.  Just like 'get on the scale'.  Blah, blah, gone.  

Sam's sobbing during this supposed interview led me to believe that he knew perfectly well he won.  

This could be because I don't particularly like Sam, because if he's so worried about providing for his family, he should: 

Get. 

a. 

Job. 

Anyway, congrats, dough boy.  

Such a bummer not to be with you posters during the last two episodes, but I'm a mod on a football board, and both preseason games were on Thursday night.  ugh.  

ETA:

I also don't really believe Larry's newfound life path/knowledge/love of family.  He knew before going into this season that he and Nichole were going to get together and offer 'lessons' on survival when it ended.   Doesn't sound like a  guy who was so injured emotionally that he hasn't been able to get it together for a few years.  It still looked like playing for the camera to me.  

I agree with all of you that I don't want to see Alone/notAlone, or repeat players again.  

Will I watch?  Of course.  It's one of my favorite programs.  :)

Edited August 18, 2018 by MostlyContent

[TVbitch]

I felt the end was reshot, too. During that last interview, the way Sam was speaking didn't seem natural. And he was just saying some bullshit line about protein, when neither of them had eaten anything for a week. It looked to me like he had already melted down, then almost but not quite collected himself, but it was still fresh enough that he was able to have another breakdown. Hell, I would probably have 5 breakdowns.  

If they really want to surprise them, why not have the medical team just bring the wife in straight away during the next medical visit to tell him he's won. Or have her sneak up while they are doing the exam.  

[Kelda Feegle]

I'm not thrilled with a outlasted coz I'm tubby win. 

I'll miss you fkn Larry. Wish we'd seen all of Britts ornaments. 

Super pissed with two fake outs, Wolf and medivac, have some respect for your viewers show!

Edited August 18, 2018 by Kelda Feegle
Added

[Chit Chat]

1 hour ago, Kelda Feegle said:

I'm not thrilled with a outlasted coz I'm tubby win. 

This kind of ending is to be expected when you have a season in which nobody can get any food.  It becomes a game of being able to keep your mental faculties about you and trying not to freeze!  What else could they do in this particular situation?  They all go into this with the dream of getting a deer or some other large animal, but we never see it pan out. I give them credit for the shelters they built and what they did accomplish.  They're much tougher than I would be given those cold temperatures!

[AZChristian]

I was cheering for Britt, but I'm okay with Sam winning.  I'm just hoping he recognizes that outlasting other people on a reality show really isn't a great career choice if he wants to provide a steady income for his family.  Even the endorsements and personal appearances are going to slack off, if he uses those as a source of income.  It's great if he can find something he loves that will pay an adequate amount.  Or he can just be like lots of people.  You do what you have to do to support your family, and look to do the things you love on the weekends.

[cooksdelight]

This show has gotten too full of itself. After the wild success of the first season, they show us wolves and a medivac we never see on the show.

Get it together. I won’t be watching much longer with all the tricks and twists.

[ChristmasJones]

IMO many reality shows are at their best and most pure during their first season.  After that, things start to morph for ratings, drama, etc.

[rmontro]

18 hours ago, ChitChat said:

He also said that he knew that his wife didn't have a tap-out button at home, so he wasn't going to tap out either.

I thought that was a great line.  And a great way to look at it.

[simplyme]

12 hours ago, Kelda Feegle said:

I'm not thrilled with a outlasted coz I'm tubby win. 

But to some degree, isn't that every season? Has there been a season where smaller, thinner people haven't had to tap earlier? (I'm not trying to be a pita. I only saw seasons 3-5, but am aware of who the winners were for 1-2, so I'm honestly asking.)

I'd like a way for someone with a naturally small frame like Carleigh to be more competitive, but that's not the way the show is currently structured. I can't blame Sam for using his natural assets, nor for having the brains to significantly add to said natural assets before heading out. 

I think one of the reasons it was a little harder to cheer for Sam then, say, Britt is that at times they chose god awful boring footage to show for Sam. Britt seems to be naturally charismatic and have a wonderful sense of humor when he isn't completely starving. (I recently rewatched his stint in S3. He's funny in that, too, but he isn't there very long compared to others.) Some of Sam's footage I had to keep prodding my leg with a pencil to stay awake; my mom actually did fall asleep. But some of it was fine. I mean, Sam is not a gripping personality, but he's not always dead boring. This last episode I thought his footage was fairly decent. The previous ep where he talked foreeeever about his bowels and carved? Zzzz. 5 minutes of that, tops.

One other topic: I certainly can't criticize anyone's mood swings or choices on this show. Overall they all did way better than I would have. If I don't eat regularly or enough, blammo. Migraine. And you do not want to be near me. Cruella de Vil starts thinking I'm an out and out witch.

[holly4755]

OK, maybe I go too far, burt I like to get to know these people on youtube.  Larry and his wife are so sweet, so lucky to have found each other and escaped their abusive families.  Sam has a regular channel talking about shows, he not only participates, but enjoys watching other seasons other shows. the  the first child appeared on some of the shows.  Plus he was good about sharing behind the scenes stuff at Reddit, like how many fish he caught early on and how he had other things to eat plus his packs of supplemental food.  he said it was protein he missed in the last two weeks not no food at all.  he also complained that they asked him to make how to videos and then the videos were never shown, haha.  I have not seen Britt on-line, but Jason was posting even though he was seriously roasted there. 

 I am fine with who ever one how ever they won,. this is real, unlike the other survivor shows on TV. 

[Quilt Fairy]

9 hours ago, ChristmasJones said:

IMO many reality shows are at their best and most pure during their first season.  After that, things start to morph for ratings, drama, etc.

During the first season, we were all in amazement at how special this show was.  I remember thinking (and I may have posted it as well): Enjoy it now, because we'll never have another first season, and it will probably never be like this again. 

[cooksdelight]

From now on, I will wonder how much of each person’s performance is just that. A performance. Manufactured and manipulated by production.

We will never again have Alan doing his Julia Child imitation with the limpets.

[Yeah No]

I loved Britt's comment about not being the typical guy to do something like this, but how he was more like that guy from accounting you go to for a spreadsheet.  That's funny, based on how well he did this season, he coulda fooled me, although now that he mentioned it, he does remind me of that accounting guy.  Both he and Sam are a lesson in not underestimating people based on appearances

[Chit Chat]

On ‎8‎/‎17‎/‎2018 at 11:19 AM, HurricaneVal said:

I think Sam lucked out.  How many days was this season compared to last seasons?  It could be editing, but it seemed like he really didn't start preparing for winter until late in the game with the firewood and the snowshoes. 

On Sam's FB page, he said that he trekked through the snow up to a 1/4 of a mile every day for firewood. Wasn't it Sam who said that he didn't want to expend extra energy at the start in regards to his shelter (which looked pretty nice to me?)  He added to the roof as needed, depending on the amount of snow he was getting.   I'd be interested in hearing more behind the scenes stories that didn't get aired.  Maybe we'll get more insight on all of them with the reunion footage.

[AZChristian]

6 hours ago, Yeah No said:

I loved Britt's comment about not being the typical guy to do something like this, but how he was more like that guy from accounting you go to for a spreadsheet.  That's funny, based on how well he did this season, he coulda fooled me, although now that he mentioned it, he does remind me of that accounting guy.  Both he and Sam are a lesson in not underestimating people based on appearances

Um . . . you do know that Britt IS an accountant, right?

[Pandorap]

This was the first season of Alone I have ever watched.  I wasn't even aware of the show.  I love the premise but after watching this season and hearing (reading)comments here about other seasons I feel like it's a little lacking in the execution.  I was not fond of watching people starving and carving big spoons.  The first few episodes with fish hooks and actually seeing the flora/fauna and how things could be harvested and caught was interesting.   I'll have to search out the earlier seasons and see what they were all about.  As for this season, I was hoping Britt would be the one to out last Sam.  I hope he gets something for being a runner up.  If, as I've read, Sam (and perhaps others) chose to take along extra rations it would have been interesting to me to see how and when those rations were used and consumed.  Why pretend on the show like that doesn't happen?  Over all this was semi interesting to me enough that I'll watch if they have an eleventh season.  But if it turns out that it's just watching who can go hungry the longest every season...meh.

[Chit Chat]

15 minutes ago, Pandorap said:

If, as I've read, Sam (and perhaps others) chose to take along extra rations it would have been interesting to me to see how and when those rations were used and consumed. 

I think Sam said that although he had some rations, he still didn't have any protein.  

 

16 minutes ago, Pandorap said:

Over all this was semi interesting to me enough that I'll watch if they have an eleventh season.  But if it turns out that it's just watching who can go hungry the longest every season...meh.

The seasons in which they weren't snowed in were more interesting to me.  One lady built herself a sauna, Carleigh kept busy making things like baskets, etc., and several of them have talked about the various herbs available to them and how to use them medicinally.  It's more interesting when they explain how you can survive out there given what you find on the land.  I think that the ladies were better about keeping a running commentary on such things.  

[Yeah No]

1 hour ago, AZChristian said:

Um . . . you do know that Britt IS an accountant, right?

Yes, I did, I was just pointing out how even though he is one, might have fooled me if I didn't know better.  He obviously has many facets and people shouldn't jump to conclusions about what "typical" accountants might be like.  Having worked with many accountants I know that first hand.

[Token]

I'm afraid this is the last season of Alone for me.  It's basically become a show about who fattens up the most and therefore wins the season because they starved last.  And Sam winning just offends me.  It just rewards an irresponsible idiot who left his heavily pregnant wife twice to go off on his own adventure.  This show doesn't interest me anymore.

[Yeah No]

I see the fact that "who fattens up the most wins" as just a function of survival because that's just the way the world works in a situation like this, whether we like it or not.  I don't find it offensive, just a fact.  If the show allowed the contestants to roam around more from their base and perhaps find more and better sources of food, they could rely on their skills more than their spare tires.  At any rate, for me it's an interesting study in how people adapt and react to extreme circumstances.

I don't see Sam as an "irresponsible idiot" because he was doing this to earn money to provide for his family, not looking for adventure for his own purposes.  I don't think he would have signed on for another season if on his own, that was very clear to me from his constant confirmation of his purpose there.  So that redeems it for me.  I admire men that are willing to make extreme sacrifices for their families even if in other ways they aren't my cup of tea.

[Tammee]

Ok we had Redemption, have they done an All Stars yet?  I would be in for that.

[Chit Chat]

1 hour ago, Token said:

It just rewards an irresponsible idiot who left his heavily pregnant wife twice to go off on his own adventure. 

Respectfully, they all leave behind family and friends, some of which have their own issues to deal with at home too.  From various interviews with these folks over the seasons, many of those left at home are okay with the idea, especially with a $500K prize attached to it!

I'll admit that the latter part of this season wasn't as interesting as past seasons, but it was still better than the last one where it was Alone Plus One!  I enjoyed the first half of this season.  It's when the brutal cold hit that things slowed down and there didn't seem to be as much activity going on.  

[Tammee]

On 8/18/2018 at 1:52 AM, Yeah No said:

I know, Sam's parting insights truly touched and impressed me with their wisdom and maturity.  Being alone for so long forces a person to think about what's really important in life, and what they can do to be better people, because all the distractions of modern life are taken away.  I loved how both he and Larry reframed their experience this time and came away with a positive feeling about it.  For me, that redeems this season from any of its failings.  This kind of experience can help a person grow both emotionally and spiritually in ways that will serve them all through their lives.  It's one reason Christian mystics and other spiritual types traditionally go alone out in nature to get closer to God and re-center themselves.  That's the thing I love about this show more than anything else.

Well put @Yeah No, it touched me too.  I did tear up when his wife came to get him.  Just the pure joy in that moment.  He didnt even think about the cash, just food hah!  That would probably be my first question too, empty those pockets! Hahah not even gum? Lol

[qtpye]

On 8/18/2018 at 10:43 AM, Kelda Feegle said:

I'm not thrilled with a outlasted coz I'm tubby win. 

I'll miss you fkn Larry. Wish we'd seen all of Britts ornaments. 

Super pissed with two fake outs, Wolf and medivac, have some respect for your viewers show!

 

On 8/18/2018 at 2:04 PM, cooksdelight said:

This show has gotten too full of itself. After the wild success of the first season, they show us wolves and a medivac we never see on the show.

Get it together. I won’t be watching much longer with all the tricks and twists.

Maybe next season they will preview a unicorn galloping on a rainbow. I still love this show. I was hoping for a Britt win since I am also a fellow nerd, but good for Sam. He always seemed kind of like an adorable toddler to me...just happy about everything.

[AZChristian]

Britt just accepted my friend request on Facebook.  I won't pester him, but I really enjoyed watching his process on the show.

[Chit Chat]

2 hours ago, AZChristian said:

Britt just accepted my friend request on Facebook.  I won't pester him, but I really enjoyed watching his process on the show.

I thought that he gave some of the more interesting commentary throughout his journey.  He was fun to watch.  Was he the only one using grasshoppers to catch fish?  He seemed to be doing pretty well at it until it got so darn cold!  I would've been okay with any of the people this season winning it.  They were all pretty likeable, IMO.  YMMV!

[DrewPaul2010]

On 8/16/2018 at 8:11 PM, zibnchy said:

So basically the last 10 days or so was just two guys seeing who could starve to death slower? Riveting!

If you don't like watching other people suffer...why tune in? I admit I do feel guilty about eating a big bowl of ice cream when I watch.

[DrewPaul2010]

On 8/18/2018 at 10:06 AM, AZChristian said:

I was cheering for Britt, but I'm okay with Sam winning.  I'm just hoping he recognizes that outlasting other people on a reality show really isn't a great career choice if he wants to provide a steady income for his family.  Even the endorsements and personal appearances are going to slack off, if he uses those as a source of income.  It's great if he can find something he loves that will pay an adequate amount.  Or he can just be like lots of people.  You do what you have to do to support your family, and look to do the things you love on the weekends.

I think it was youth over experience. The younger man could endure longer. I don't know how Sam made it as far as he did because he wasn't catching fish, didn't catch much game what the heck did he eat? But hell yeah I'd bulk up to 280 I'd have a hundred pounds to lose. I hope Larry is at peace, he should write a bio. It was good Britt quite when he did because Sam had another week in him. He must have gotten some food between when his wife appeared and when he was showing her around. He should at least get a snickers right away make a great commercial...you're not you when you been starving for 20 days. I admire Sam a lot yes there are other ways he could support his family but this will allow him to get a house and probably what he wants to do is go to school and get a profession. It won't last forever but what a bump!

Edited August 20, 2018 by DrewPaul2010

[rmontro]

15 hours ago, Pandorap said:

I love the premise but after watching this season and hearing (reading)comments here about other seasons I feel like it's a little lacking in the execution.  I was not fond of watching people starving and carving big spoons.

I've watched the first few episodes of ABC's Castaways, and I want to tell you, Alone is a sheer pleasure to watch in comparison.

[ProfCrash]

9 hours ago, DrewPaul2010 said:

I think it was youth over experience. The younger man could endure longer. I don't know how Sam made it as far as he did because he wasn't catching fish, didn't catch much game what the heck did he eat? But hell yeah I'd bulk up to 280 I'd have a hundred pounds to lose. I hope Larry is at peace, he should write a bio. It was good Britt quite when he did because Sam had another week in him. He must have gotten some food between when his wife appeared and when he was showing her around. He should at least get a snickers right away make a great commercial...you're not you when you been starving for 20 days. I admire Sam a lot yes there are other ways he could support his family but this will allow him to get a house and probably what he wants to do is go to school and get a profession. It won't last forever but what a bump!

Sam also brought wo rations of food and flour. We didn't see him do anything with the flour but I suspect that there might have been tortilla making or dumplings. Not nutrient packed but at least temporarily filling. So Sam didn't catch as much fish but he had far more in the way of rations then the other contestants. That would have helped keep the hunger tapped down and allowed him to gut it out.

I am starting to suspect that some of what we see in the intro is staff filmed stuff, like the staff practicing for an emergency evac, and not anything that actually happens. It is more based on setting the scene as opposed to what is actually happening. It is annoying but I stopped taking those scenes as anything that is really going to happen.

So the key to winning is being overweight, packing a bunch of rations, and being able to build enough of a shelter that you can survive the cold.

I just wish they would show more of the actual prep people are doing. The gathering of plants is actually pretty interesting. More on the shelters being built. Spend more time on the early weeks when there is a lot more going on and feel free to fly through the later crap when it is boring. I had no problem with the fast forward through the last few weeks. Britt and Sam probably were not doing much because they were cold and hungry.

[motroro]

Fattening up is the key to winning.  Everyone who's seen the show over the years should know this by now.  The key is that it isn't a secret!  Participants have to know by now that they're going in ready to lose 50+ lbs so they have to prepare.

Note that between Vancouver, Patagonia and Mongolia, only Vancouver was able to provide some sort of food on a regular basis.  In the end, it usually came down to limpets and seaweed but they had something (while Mongolia provided nothing).

The show touts that contestants could be there for up to a year.....but the producers know that it wouldn't work if the winner was able to put 6-9 months in before the end so they start them all in the Fall with the complete expectation that winter will dry up all food supplies and people will have to tap out.

With that in mind, you have a show where food sources are going to eventually dry up and it will come down to survival on extremely small rations.  THIS is why bulking up has always been key.

It does make me wonder about Dave in Mongolia though.....so many fish saved up but he starved himself and got pulled.  How long could he have gone?

[Chit Chat]

11 hours ago, ProfCrash said:

I just wish they would show more of the actual prep people are doing. The gathering of plants is actually pretty interesting. More on the shelters being built. Spend more time on the early weeks when there is a lot more going on and feel free to fly through the later crap when it is boring

The first time Carleigh was on was interesting to me.  She and the other ladies (either of that season or another one) took time to show us what plants were edible, and which ones were used for medicinal purposes. Several of them were very inventive with the things they made to keep them busy.    I hope they don't do another season where they're in such extreme cold weather.  

[meep.meep]

On 8/18/2018 at 9:18 PM, Quilt Fairy said:

During the first season, we were all in amazement at how special this show was.  I remember thinking (and I may have posted it as well): Enjoy it now, because we'll never have another first season, and it will probably never be like this again. 

All respect - I watched the second season as my starter season, then went back and watched the first one.  The first season is like watching paint dry.  If Alan hadn't had a sense of humor, it would have been unwatchable.

[cooksdelight]

I liked learning about the plants as well. Miss that part of the show. I want to know about things in the wild that you can use to survive if you get stuck somewhere one day.

[motroro]

15 hours ago, cooksdelight said:

I liked learning about the plants as well. Miss that part of the show. I want to know about things in the wild that you can use to survive if you get stuck somewhere one day.

Exactly!  How did they choose where to build the shelter and why?  How do you keep the rain out of your structure?  Things like that.....but instead, we see one or two people's initial journey and see the rest after a week has already gone by.

[CowboyCO]

Late commenting, but was disappointed in the season.  Fat Boy wins without providing any food for himself.  Sets up fishing line in a stagnant pond, nothing.  Sets up traps, nothing.  Caught a few mice.  just sat there , wasted away and carved spoons he would never use because he didn't have the skills to get food.  What a waste of a season.  

[qtpye]

On 8/21/2018 at 1:06 PM, motroro said:

Exactly!  How did they choose where to build the shelter and why?  How do you keep the rain out of your structure?  Things like that.....but instead, we see one or two people's initial journey and see the rest after a week has already gone by.

 

On 8/20/2018 at 9:09 PM, cooksdelight said:

I liked learning about the plants as well. Miss that part of the show. I want to know about things in the wild that you can use to survive if you get stuck somewhere one day.

Yes to this. My favorite episode this season was how various people kept a fire going inside their shelter. From Brooke using tubing to vent the heat to Randy utilizing river clay to build an amazing fireplace and chimney...not to mention his pretty amazing physique, lol.

[Scaeva]

I think some of the comments made in the thread about Sam's weight are unduly harsh in that they don't give him enough credit. I'm not in disagreement that his weight was a major factor in why he won, just that it wasn't the only reason why we won. A positive mental attitude and a willingness to endure suffering are also a big part of why anyone wins on this show, and Sam has both traits in spades.

Throughout the entire run of the series there have been plenty of other obese or heavy-set contestants that didn't last nearly as long as Sam in either of his seasons, tapping because they were terrified of the animals, or missing home, or couldn't endure the solitude for a day longer, or because of the misery of being exposed to the elements or being without adequate food for days on end. A lot of the more fit contestants also tapped because they had reached a mental breaking point.

Edited August 31, 2018 by Scaeva

[ClareWalks]

11 hours ago, Scaeva said:

I think some of the comments made in the thread about Sam's weight are unduly harsh in that they don't give him enough credit. I'm not in disagreement that his weight was a major factor in why he won, just that it wasn't the only reason why we won. A positive mental attitude and a willingness to endure suffering are also a big part of why anyone wins on this show, and Sam has both traits in spades.

Throughout the entire run of the series there have been plenty of other obese or heavy-set contestants that didn't last nearly as long as Sam in either of his seasons, tapping because they were terrified of the animals, or missing home, or couldn't endure the solitude for a day longer, or because of the misery of being exposed to the elements or being without adequate food for days on end. A lot of the more fit contestants also tapped because they had reached a mental breaking point.

Totally agree. Sam came into it with fat to lose and that was smart. But he was also fit enough to be able to complete the bushcraft tasks required, like build shelter and a fire pit and stuff, and to chop wood and set snare lines. He didn't just show up and diet his way to $500,000.

[Chit Chat]

Here's a good interview with Sam:  https://www.ketv.com/article/chronicle-alone-winner-from-nebraska/22828670

He said at the end of the interview that he "embraced" being alone, and that's what helped him get through it.  Plus, he was catching rodents all along.  

Quote

I think some of the comments made in the thread about Sam's weight are unduly harsh in that they don't give him enough credit.

The comments about being fat & tubby have bothered me too.  Sigh.  Congrats to Sam, and I wish him much success in the future.  

Edited August 31, 2018 by ChitChat

[Neurochick]

I binged this season.  I would have liked Britt to win, but I am glad Sam won.  I felt the only reason he tapped out in season one was because his wife was pregnant.  I believe Sam is pretty mature, as I don’t know many men his age who are married with children.  Most of them are still swiping on Tinder.

What I like about this show is, it’s like real life.  The person who succeeds might not be deserving, and frankly, who is deserving really?  It’s subjective.  The first person who tapped out was taken out by a freak accident, that’s life.  I love this show because it’s really reality.  Not just what people want reality to be.

[ProfCrash]

On ‎8‎/‎30‎/‎2018 at 9:40 PM, Scaeva said:

I think some of the comments made in the thread about Sam's weight are unduly harsh in that they don't give him enough credit. I'm not in disagreement that his weight was a major factor in why he won, just that it wasn't the only reason why we won. A positive mental attitude and a willingness to endure suffering are also a big part of why anyone wins on this show, and Sam has both traits in spades.

Throughout the entire run of the series there have been plenty of other obese or heavy-set contestants that didn't last nearly as long as Sam in either of his seasons, tapping because they were terrified of the animals, or missing home, or couldn't endure the solitude for a day longer, or because of the misery of being exposed to the elements or being without adequate food for days on end. A lot of the more fit contestants also tapped because they had reached a mental breaking point.

 

On ‎8‎/‎31‎/‎2018 at 9:37 AM, ClareWalks said:

Totally agree. Sam came into it with fat to lose and that was smart. But he was also fit enough to be able to complete the bushcraft tasks required, like build shelter and a fire pit and stuff, and to chop wood and set snare lines. He didn't just show up and diet his way to $500,000.

Sam and Britt both discussed that Sam's extra weight is what made the difference. Whatever else Sam had going for him, his weight played a large role in his win. The truth is he clearly makes boring TV. He was not really featured in his first season or in this season. I cannot think of another finalist, never mind winner, who was ignored as much in the normal show. Nothing in Sam's shelter stood out as being that much better then what anyone else built. If anything, Sam's shelter was one of the worst. It was not as sturdy and his fireplace was far less advanced then Britt or Larry's or Dave's or Randy's.

Clearly Sam has enough skill to survive on this show. But he cannot fish, something that he is so well aware of he did not bring fishing line as part of his gear.

I would put money on the idea that Sam had the largest percentage of body fat of any contestant this year. He brought the most in terms of rations. So he won because he had more fat to live off of and he brought more food. An effective strategy but crappy TV.

He seems like a perfectly nice enough guy but I was bored with him in season one and bored with him this season. He knows how to play the game of Alone, which is fine because that is what he is there to do, but I do not think that I would choose Sam to survive with after a plane crash. I would choose Britt or Randy or even Dave and Larry. Hell, Give me Brooke. All of them have demonstrated the skills that they have for survival. Sam has shown me that he is great when you give him 20 pounds of rations and a bag of flour plus stored fat.

Dave, Britt and Carleigh all had a good amount of will power. Dave and Carleigh were pulled from Patagonia because they would not quit. Britt lasted a good amount of time before he tapped. So there is something else in play. Sam's weight is a factor.

I would like to see them drop the rations as something that they can take or give everyone one ration each and that is it. No extras. If you want to last, you catch your own food or hope you can starve longer then the others out there.

[motroro]

I've been posting since season 2 that it's those that come in with an extra 60+lbs to lose that are the ones most likely to win.  5 seasons, 6 heavier set men won (including the doofus Bros last year). 

Being that you can't keep people from gaining weight before the show launches, I completely agree about the idea of dropping rations as one of their 10 items available to take with them.

Keep in mind that if this were the case in a place devoid of much other food like Mongolia, that the season would have wrapped up 2 weeks earlier. 

I think they should go back to VI or someplace like it where you can scrounge limpets and seaweed for days.  Make it a "wait out" instead of a "weight out" (yea, I just came up with that one). 

[writbest]

On 8/16/2018 at 10:10 PM, Ina123 said:

Yay, Sam. Good job. Can't help it. I'm s Sam fan.

why should anyone win by being fat, lucky and doing almost nothing, hmm?

[Yeah No]

16 hours ago, writbest said:

why should anyone win by being fat, lucky and doing almost nothing, hmm?

I think Sam's win was the result of shrewd strategy on his part, not just luck.  If he intended to increase his chances of winning by gaining weight, I think that was a smart thing to do.  Our society tends to see being "fat" as a liability, but in extreme survival situations, it's actually an advantage.  I guess you'd  have to ask the laws of nature as to why that's the case.  But I also don't agree that he "did almost nothing".  This season he actually did a fair number of projects.

[writbest]

it's just luck when everyone else is just as inept as you are.  Anyone who'd made netting and used it properly would have beaten him, quite easily and he could not know that they would not. Ergo, luck.ok, change that to "did nothing useful". which, in the wild means nothing was done. If it doesn't work, it doesn't count.

Edited November 29, 2018 by writbest

[janerazor]

Just finished watching this season. I loved Britt, but I cannot be mad that Sam won either. So Larry...excuse me, F'ckin' Larry...had pretty much the exact same breakdown and realization when he tapped in his initial season. He suddenly was all about how much he loved his wife and kids and just had to keep from being this downer about his job and how his life has turned out. Hmmm, I guess that didn't work the first time, and I suspect it didn't work this time either. My guess is he's still lashing out in anger whenever something doesn't go his way and moping around when he'd rather be that 17-year-old kid running away with his 17-year-old girlfriend instead of a grown-ass man with an "old" wife and an "old" life. 

[iMonrey]

Hey janerazor I just finished this season too. Larry's got some definite anger management problems. 

I'm of the opinion that the right winner is the one who wins. However they make it. I liked Britt too and was really rooting for him. But while the winner shouldn't be judged on need, I do think Sam will appreciate this money in a way that others might not have as much.