Going into day two, six teams remained at the beginning of this week’s episode of Alone on History.
The show has not disappointed so far this season despite the twist in the premise that makes it less “alone-lyish”. You can quote me on that description.
It’s #notsoalone really, with the contestants set to end up in pairs once they find their team-mates.
This new set-up means they can help each other forage, hunt, fish, play a snappy game of War and keep the other person from going full on kooky like last season’s Dave.
Last week we said goodbye to #TeamRichardson as Josh sprained his ankle and they had to tap out on the first day. Brother Brad was visibly unhappy about that.
This week is titled Hell on Earth.
We open with Ted Baird, the Canadian who is paired with his brother. Ted wolfs down a raw limpet, which by the way has the same cholesterol levels as two tablespoons of butter. And it’s “crunchy”.
Dismayed at the lackluster limpet, Ted sets up a gill net for fish.
Jim is the other half of Team Baird for this adventure. He’s a big dude, 6’5″ and will need way more limpets than his brother. Total natureniks, these two enormous gingers are!
Like all trekking in the forests, he fights the salal underbrush and luckily spots Winter Chanterelle mushrooms, plucking them for a future meal. He finds a random lake that must be marked so he doesn’t lose his bearings.
Day two is heating up as we switch to Team Ribar. Alex is wet. He’s hating life. “The best thing to do is just hunker down,” he says, and he does. His son Logan is 9.7 miles away.
A helicopter is heard. Something is going on with Logan. Alex is whisked away by the chopper to find his son is tapping out due to mental stress. “He was thoroughly demoralized,” says Alex.
Now there are five teams by Day 3.
Over to awesome Team Whipple, as we see Dave putting on a cold wet shirt as he makes his way to Brooke, who is 8.9 miles away.
Unflappable Brooke is amazing. She’s building a serious fireplace. Her shelter looks like a log cabin already. Step by step she shows us how to make a safe, properly based out, fireplace. It’s functional, safe and it heats up her cabin beautifully. #girlpower
Now we head over to Louisiana native Brody Wilkes, hiking to his brother Chris.
“I’ve been bustin’ my a** goin’ through those mountains,” says Brody, who freaks that he has to clear a mountain to get to his brother. He’s not digging it. “My feet are raw and they’re soakin’ wet. I didn’t come here to do a hiking journey.”
Day four brings us to Alaskan toughies Team Bosdell. Shannon is chowing down on some kelp. “Breakfast of champions,” he says. He hopes to see Jesse soon.
He has built a snug little cabin. He scavenges a plastic basket on the shore and makes a crab trap!
Meanwhile, Jesse spots the ocean and a bear trail. He shares that Shannon is a “klutz” and hustles to find him.
Back to Team Baird. Ted makes a pole to fish and baits with shore crabs. He’s discouraged, fishless and hoping his gill net has something.
Tide finally goes out. Whoa! His gill net worked like a charm and he has six fish!
Jim, however, is eating slugs. Banana slug boiled alive. Do not eat them raw. Hating it, he says: “That’s gross!” Duly noted.
Over to team Wilkes as Chris Wilkes is picking something off the rocks. “Tastes like survival,” he says.
He makes a sign for his brother to alert him that he is camped at the beach.
Day five has us once again with Team Bosdell. Jesse is appearing over-tired, soaking wet and slightly demoralized. “Whatever. I’m still doing it. I don’t back down from challenges, I push through,” she says.
We end on day five with Team Bosdell in play.
“Shannon!” yells Jesse. Over and over. Nothing. But Shannon is closer than he thinks. He did hear his brother! He says: “Maybe a ghost, I don’t know!”
We end with Shannon constructing a crab trap from the plastic flotsam that has washed up on the shore.
Calamity. He has hurt himself. Exactly how and the severity is the cliffhanger on which we end.
Next week it looks like the teams are finally connecting. Five teams left y’all! See you next week.
Alone airs Thursday nights at 10/9c on History.