History Channel's Alone

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by Chris from Chicago, Apr 17, 2016.

  1. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    I want in on that meet up if it happens. You're both two of my favorite dudes!

    @Chris from Chicago I don't you come up with some of your one liners, but they're really funny and poignant. You're the best, man :)
     
  2. Chris from Chicago

    Chris from Chicago Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes Thread Starter

    Wisdom comes alone... through suffering.

    It's day 48. 5 people remain.

    Jordan makes a rabbit fur vest. Then skins a moose head for whatever fat he can find. He even rendered it down to make cracklings. Good thing. Because another... different wolverine climbed his meat stand and took his bounty.

    Nikki harvests her neighborhood sledge. She makes a stuffed teddy bear, or... rabbit. She finds a slimy mushroom. And takes on this Jack Nicholson from the Shining crazy look because of it. And then... she takes her clothes off. Scary music actually plays in the background. Med check. She lost 25% of her body weight. She has to leave. She's heartbroken. It even made me sad. A little.

    Woniya builds a bed in her shelter. She's going to need it. Because it's a two rabbit day. She picks them clean. And... because it's Halloween... she dresses up. Like a rabbit. W in the actual F. Is she nuts? Am I? Why am I watching this sh!t?

    Barry wakes up after a windy night. And wondered why he didn't hear the nearby waves. He finds out soon. The lake froze over. His drinking water is no longer fluid. So he collects snow to melt. He's tired. He's dragging. His time here is short.

    Nathan the mystery man freaks out as his fire goes out. And he can't relight it. He won't. Not with the wood that grows there. I don't know whether to root for him or against him. But I'd love for him to find, hunt... and inevitably eat...Barry.

    And... I need to somehow figure out how to get "meat stand" into more of my everyday conversation. Don't know how seamless it's going to be. But I'm going to give it a shot.

    This isn't just survival. This is punishment. For all of them.

    And me.
     
    Last edited: Aug 9, 2019
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  3. Deuce66

    Deuce66 Senior Member

    Location:
    Canada
    I started watching this a few days ago, I'm up to EP#5, welcome to the real NORTH. The show seems pretty authentic to me, trying to survive off the land at that time of year (fall heading into winter) is no joke. It makes me wonder what the hell my ancestors were running from when they settled into northern Ontario in the early 1700's, seven months of winter conditions (Oct-Apr), bug infested summers...tough sons of ******. My father always gave me **** when I was being picky about my food saying that if you were really hungry you would eat anything to survive, that's what these contestants are dealing with, the land doesn't give you much and when it does you better take advantage of it.

    This program also provides a crystal clear view of how disconnected modern humans are from nature and our true origins.
     
  4. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    I haven't watched this, but I get the general idea of it. It's kind of like Survivorman but these people are out longer, have less survival skills, and seem to be in damn inhospitable environments. Honestly, as brutal as it sounds, I'd probably like this as I love man v. nature type deals. I'm not sure why I've never checked this out quite honestly. Too little time, I suppose.

    I read all of Chris's recaps as they are written superbly but I'm bit puzzled with one thing. A guy you've not seen before on the show all of a sudden shows up? He wasn't in the first few episodes? This Nathan guy? Why was he added or is it you just don't remember him?
     
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  5. Deuce66

    Deuce66 Senior Member

    Location:
    Canada
    They don't cover everyone in each episode, it's almost like a highlight reel covering several day's events. I don't know about the Survivorman comparison, all of these contestants know how to take care of themselves in the wild, some better than others. Anyone who's squeamish about the hunting/killing of animals will not be able to handle this program.
     
  6. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    The only thing I meant about "Survivorman" is these individuals do not have an imbedded crew with them, no? They're doing the camera work themselves? Putting up tri-pods, etc? That can be exhausting as well if your main goal is finding food or shelter.
     
    Last edited: Aug 9, 2019
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  7. Deuce66

    Deuce66 Senior Member

    Location:
    Canada
    Yes that's correct, they do all the work.
     
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  8. Chris from Chicago

    Chris from Chicago Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes Thread Starter

    @Deuce66 don't know how new you are to this. But the end of the season is a tough watch. You're literally watching people starve and go crazy. You're watching them die. It's quite the relief when it ends
     
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  9. Deuce66

    Deuce66 Senior Member

    Location:
    Canada
    EP8 is next in the queue, no one is in major difficulty yet. As the weather gets worse I expect the boat or a helicopter if the lake is frozen over will be carting them out one after another.
     
  10. Deuce66

    Deuce66 Senior Member

    Location:
    Canada
    I think I've already seen a hint of madness with the "Bunny" puppet show.....that was kind of disturbing.
     
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  11. Chris from Chicago

    Chris from Chicago Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes Thread Starter

    Generally after this much time... all it takes is someone to reflect on how much they miss their kids and wife. Next thing you know they're balling their eyes out wondering what they are doing so far away from home. It happens almost every season. Exhaustion and hunger are things you can ignore. Love of family... not so much
     
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  12. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    Not so sure.

    Hunger, exhaustion, and deprivation is no worse than getting carped at by the wife 24/7. Pick your poison, essentially.
     
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  13. Deuce66

    Deuce66 Senior Member

    Location:
    Canada
    One of the top 10 rules for contestants - no pictures of loved ones. I watched EP 8-9, it's getting ugly now that the real cold has arrived and the lake is frozen over, it won't be long now.
     
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  14. Chris from Chicago

    Chris from Chicago Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes Thread Starter

    Adapt or perish, now as ever, is nature's inexorable imperative.

    It's day 58. 4 people remain. It's 10° and it's 3:00 p.m. And the sun begins to set.

    Nathan finds the frozen lake renders his gill net useless. So he gathers all of the timber debris around his shelter as an insulator. And he puts hot rocks from his homemade fireplace under his bed to stay warm. Then he sets out on the frozen lake, chops through 9" of ice, lowers his net... and waits.

    Jordan and his ice covered facial hair spins an impressive net with his home chiseled needle. And he makes a set of skis to better help him walk the frozen lake. He hatchets a couple of holes in the ice. I hope it works. He's losing his hair due to malnutrition. It does. He literally catches a frozen trout.

    Woniya discovers a fox dug down into the literal rabbit hole. Effectively depleting the neighborhood population. So she's forced to clean poo from a long ago caught rabbit intestine. She appears positive. Even though she's losing a pound and a half a day. Then finds out she's squirrel rich.

    And then there's Barry. He does sit ups in his sleeping bag to create and capture warmth. He needs food. They all do. So he travelled to open water by way of homemade snowshoes. He drinks. That makes him happy. But then he breaks down reminiscing of his family. Emotions destroy him. He hears a helicopter. Med check. He's lost 80 pounds. He has to leave. He fights to stay. But weakly. It's hard watching this.

    The winner doesn't know the moment they've won. They have to be told. This is the long game.

    It's day 69. 3 people remain.
     
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  15. Deuce66

    Deuce66 Senior Member

    Location:
    Canada
    Perfect summary of the latest episode, BRUTAL is the only way to describe the conditions at this point. I knew that Barry was done due to his inability to trap or fish, water alone at this point is not going to cut it, he was done. His weight loss was frightening and very dangerous. At this point the two best hunters (Jordan and Woniya) have to be the favourites to win this, I think Nathan is one screwup away from being done (net failure/no fish/or his fire goes out again and he can't restart).

    I love how visceral this show is, it's no BS and a true survival test. It's a very long way from sitting in a Starbucks sipping on $6 lattes, eating a croissant while texting on your phone making plans for the night.....welcome to life in the North pre-1900's at least they have an out, they aren't stuck there forever.
     
  16. Chris from Chicago

    Chris from Chicago Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes Thread Starter

    One day, in retrospect, the years of struggle will strike you as the most beautiful...

    It's day 70. 3 people remain.

    Jordan. He accidentally left his ladder leaning against his meat stand. A thieving wolverine found it and took advantage. He's screwed. He dreams of dark chocolate. He seems positive. But desperately needs calories. And fat. His body is consuming itself. His voice mumbles. Did it do so from the beginning? He's been suffering for so long I don't recall.

    Nathan. He has to punch new holes in his belt due to his weight loss. 7 holes worth. His parka and pants crunch with ice when he walks. So he warms what little fish soup he has left. This mistakenly sets his shelter ablaze. He stands outside of it... watching. And recording the tragedy. Nathan has no other choice but to press the button. But it's late. So they aren't coming for a while. He stands by the fire for warmth while he waits.

    Woniya. She talks biscuits and butter. The lake ice is now too thick to cut through. It's -10°. And it's dark. So she decides to make rabbit paw soup. And if I didn't know any better... she likes it. She logically contemplates the weight of staying. She needs the money. But not that much. She grabs the thingie with the button.

    A helicopter flies in. We don't yet know who they're taking away. It's Woniya. She looks like a beaten fighter. Bruised
    Hungry. Exausted. But it's her birthday. How can you not wish her the best?

    It's day 77.

    Jordan is the winner. But he doesn't know it yet. He catches a fish. It's big. It'll sustain him for a while. And he discovered he has a selfie stick. He hears the helicopter. He's afraid they're going to pull him. So he eats everything to pack on the pounds.

    His wife walks to him from behind. He talks of being able to go on longer. He turns. He sees her. Now he knows. He won't have to.

    This is an emotionally exhausting show to watch. Does that make me a bitch? I'm glad it's over. I need a break.

    Signing off. See you guys soon.
     
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  17. Deuce66

    Deuce66 Senior Member

    Location:
    Canada
    And the moral of the story no one would be able to survive a winter off the banks of Great Slave Lake NWT alone. They didn't get to experience the real depth of winter where temps go down to -40°C/F or worse, they also didn't get to experience the joys of summer where food is far more plentiful but the bugs alone would drive them mad.

    I like these type of shows that remind us of how good we have it in the modern world circa 2019, we really have it easy compared to early pioneers.
     
  18. Chris from Chicago

    Chris from Chicago Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes Thread Starter

    No doubt. Any needs we have we can buy... without even leaving our house... if we want. But out there... even the smallest mistake can be life threatening.

    Even after watching this show all these years...I can't confidently say I could build a shelter to keep me out of the rain. Let alone keeping the frigid winter out.
     
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  19. Deuce66

    Deuce66 Senior Member

    Location:
    Canada
    A new season started yesterday on the History channel - they are back in Northern Canada. Goal is to last 100 days with one winner getting $1 million. It looks like they are starting again in early/late fall when temps are in the 30's Fahrenheit.
     
  20. carrick doone

    carrick doone Whhhuuuutttt????

    Location:
    Vancouver, Canada
    I have watched a couple of seasons before but I am all in for this one. 100 days is unfathomable to me. I think I could get by for a day as long as there was dinner being made for me at the end. :)

    So far this one looks like there are some isolation hardened folks along with some pretenders and 1 million is a lot of money. High stakes and skill should make for an interesting series. I'm hoping Chris from Chicago chimes in. His recaps are sublime.

    My recap of the first episode without giving a spoiler: the show and the person who left did a good job of showing what focus it takes to survive. It fell apart so quickly.
     
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  21. Deuce66

    Deuce66 Senior Member

    Location:
    Canada
    Agreed but I think he panicked and didn't give him/herself a chance to recover. As for the thrower he has zero chance of making it, he's already thin to begin with and unless he's the world's greatest trapper forget it.
     
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  22. carrick doone

    carrick doone Whhhuuuutttt????

    Location:
    Vancouver, Canada
    Completely agree. Even I would have waited til the morning. It's such a mental game. I've known a couple of people who lived in the north homesteading and the mind set you have to have is to survive no matter what. Cause that b*****d northern cold will kill you.

    As to thrower guy? I thought the same until he trapped the hare. He's really resourceful. And that throw? Wow.
     
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  23. Deuce66

    Deuce66 Senior Member

    Location:
    Canada
    I have a hard time imagining anyone lasting 100 days alone in that environment. It looks like late fall, the leaves have turned, a few flies still around, I think the weather will be reasonable for the first 25-35 days after that? pure torture for whoever is left. Last season the winner lasted 77 days and he killed a moose if I remember correctly.
     
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  24. carrick doone

    carrick doone Whhhuuuutttt????

    Location:
    Vancouver, Canada
    Based on what little I know about the north, if a person can trap and ice fish they should be okay. Normally though they would have all summer to build shelter and to dry and smoke meat to get by. I think the real issue will be the mental game.
     
  25. Tree of Life

    Tree of Life Hysteria

    Location:
    Captiva Island, FL
    Not able to watch this season until youtube tv or Netflix has it

    I need Chris in Chicago’s recap
     
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