Alone on History: This week’s episode started with the final four. Carleigh. Meghan. Dave and Fowler. Their common denominator? Lack of food and especially protein. All are weak. Most if not all are in the throes of emotional misery missing their loved ones.
Patagonia. Day 73. Zachary Fowler: “Not having a good day”
We begin with Fowler who is wasting away. The Maine native explains his banking of the fire so he never loses the flames. His abode is in great shape as he conserves his calories as much as possible.
“It takes so much for me to live day to day,” he says. Fowler attempts to fish as the temperature is 31 degrees. “Head’s all ringing” he says as he trips and cannot get a fire started. “Man this blows, I’m just so friggin’ pissed.”
Fowler is a “bipolar rollercoaster”, but then a miracle — he catches a fish! Disaster strikes. The fish jumps off the line as he tries to pull him out.
Day 73. Megan Hanacek: “I think about swimming in chocolate pudding”
Megan catches a fish. “Holy smokes, what a beauty!” she says as she rejoices in her catch. She uses the roe as bait and then catches yet another fish. This is big news in barren cold wintry Patagonia. Three fish are caught in a day for her.
A medical check is made with Megan, as they weigh her. She has lost 20lb. Normal blood pressure, they give her the thumbs up.
Megan says: “I am so happy, I am healthy, I am lucky to be here…I’m proud to make it this far.”
Day 73. Dave Nessia: “I can’t put eleven fish up my butt.”
Dave is skinny, hungry and damned near dead looking. He is talking about vision quests and reminiscing about them, and is “spiritually raw” as he hallucinates and talks crazy from the lack of food.
He tries to go fishing. Holding his camera he heads to the river. He tries to go slow, but his body is breaking down. He falls hard and screams. The camera goes black. “I’ve lost a third of my body weight,” he says. Dave has fish to eat but is hoarding them. He finally eats some of his fish stash.
Here comes the med team, as they check Dave out. Bad news. Dave is down 42 pounds. His blood pressure is dangerously low.
He is jeopardy of organ failure and in full starvation mode.
Dave freaks out when they say they have to pull him. “We’re taking you to the hospital,” says the medical team. Dave is distraught. The crazy thing is he had the food to be there and eat! He hoarded and starved himself right off the show.
Day 73. Carleigh Fairchild: “I look forward to using modern technology when I get back.”
Carleigh misses her mom. She is tired and tries to keep busy. She is going to make a drum, using a cowhide she has foraged and cleaned.
Day 74. Zachary Fowler: “I had insomnia last night.”
Fowler is in a strange state. He is surprised at how hungry he is. He has caught nothing. Like Dave, he is starving. Unlike Dave, he has no stashed dried fish.
After contemplating eating mystery roots, he discovers his dock is swamped by rising water. Fowler knows he is in dangerous territory.
Day 74. Carleigh: “I’m getting quite thin.”
Carleigh is looking for animal protein, and her knowledge of plants is helping some. “I’m living each day here like it could be my last day.”
She works on her drum, using part of a femur to drive in pegs on her drum head. Using strips of cowhide as lacing, she secures the hide to the circle.
But like Dave and Fowler, starvation issues loom.
Day 74. Megan: “I started brainstorming again.”
Megan is not starving. She is well fed and she is looking for projects. Now she contemplates making a hammock.
She weaves smaller branches in bigger ones and makes a bloody hammock! It holds her weight as she lies in it.
Day 75. Carleigh: “I’d love to be the first woman to win.”
Carleigh is tired but pleased with herself. Rainy day, this 75th day Alone. She misses having a journal, she misses Tyler, her loved ones and friends as tears begin.
Day 75. Megan: “Always on the hunt for stuff, berries, bait…”
Megan finds an orange fungus! She eats it plucked right from the dirt. Then she forages rose hips. This takes her mind off her missing her family.
Cut to night. More rain. Pain in her tooth has woken her up. Fear of a jaw infection has her on edge.
Day 76. Fowler: “Wow. One choppy lake.”
No fish on the lines has Fowler just beside himself. His persistent efforts are failing him. Grubs and roots are what’s for dinner.
He breaks down. “I’m f****g so hungry,” he says.
“It is mentally crushing me,” he adds as he wishes the others would quit.
The teaser for next week show sees the three remaining getting medical checks — and none of it looks good…
Alone airs Thursdays at 9/8c on History.