SPOILERS
Opening quote: “This is no time for ease and comfort. It is the time to dare and endure.” – Winston Churchill.
History’s Alone is set in the frigid and deadly arctic timberline around Canada’s very deep Great Slave Lake. This is now week three. The series will bestow $500K on the winner so the stakes are high and the challenge never more life-threatening.
The weather is starting to go south quickly, and the race is on to establish hunting and fishing routines that net some viable protein.
Alone kicks off on day nine. Eight people are left.
Who tapped? Let’s revisit:
Alone cast
The full cast includes Tim Backus. Nathan Donnelly. Nikki Van Schyndel, Donny Dust, Jordan Jonas, Barry Karcher. Ray Livingston, Brady Nicholls, Woniya Thibeault, and Michelle Wohlberg.
Tapped out so far:
Tim Backus was the first.
Last week’s tap was Donny Dust.
Episode titled “Up In Flames” cast shown:
Woniya, Jordan, Nathan, Barry, Ray, and Michelle.
Predators:
Lynx, cougars, muskox, porcupines, moose, wolverines, Grizzly Bears, Brown bears, Black bears, wolves.
Day 9
Jordan
He appears to be in good spirits, and his shelter looks solid. He has hunted rabbit and has four kills, proudly showing the camera. He drinks rabbit milk right from the — “Dolly Parton of rabbit here…” — still bleeding carcass.
That could be one of the most disgusting visuals of the episode.
The field dressing scene was a graphic one for the non-hunting fans watching this. Jordan makes a stew of heads and guts, and I will not eat anything today.
Woniya
This California lady is licking a Birch tree for the sap. She is perfecting her shelter and winterizing the A-frame. Shivering is a fat burner, as we learn in the liner notes of her segment.
The reason she is participating in the series Alone is to inspire people, especially petite women and those who think they must be “big burly types” to do this challenge. Woniya is quite competent and methodical in her actions.
I have a witchy feeling about her being the winner of this season of Alone.
Day 10
Nathan
He discusses his dreams. His dreams may be portentous as he catches a huge lake trout. “That’s awesome!” He is excited as he reels in an egg-laden female. The roe is slurped up; parasites be damned. “It has a faint egg yolk flavor mixed in with a fishy one of course,” he says.
But a severe bout of lightheadedness sends him back to camp. The fish eggs are making him sick it turns out. “Definitely nauseous.” He disappears as the food poisoning takes over and he vomits on camera.
Nathan has been sick for hours, and we hear it all. “Definitely vomiting a little bit of blood,” he says as he retreats to the shelter, adding “This might be a tap out event.”
Day 11
Barry
Barry teaches us Krav Maga. Why? I do not know. His shelter looks like a tee-pee. He heads out to explore and hopes for small game.
“I’m like super hyper alert,” he says. Barry scavenges some old tin cans. “I might be able to make lures, that’s frigging awesome,” he says.
He plans to shape them to make lures. His shares that experiencing poverty in his youth made him resourceful. It’s been nine days since he had any protein, so he’s starving.
Then he catches a fish. Then he loses it. “that was a nice size f****** fish…took my lure too. I gotta lot of work to do.” Barry goes to bed, hungry. “For the right amount of money, I would die for my family.”
Brady
This guy! His mountain lion dream is trippy. His shelter is admirable. A massive well constructed A-frame. He collects wild blueberries before the cold arrives.
Barry is trained for any biome and is a survival specialist. “I got tenacity I got grit, I am not quitting,” says this father of four.
His wife has severe rheumatoid arthritis and is shown in b-roll in a wheelchair making the family meal. He needs to win for them, he says. He comes upon a wolf pack death scene where the bones tell a tale.
He will use those bones to fish. A musk ox skull decorates his shelter now. So far Barry and Woniya are looking very strong in every capacity.
Day 12
Ray
Ray is dutifully fishing. He looks regal in his cold weather gear as he greets the squirrel who has been watching him. A Mojave scissor snare is made to catch his rodent pal.
He likes this squirrel and hates that he has to kill him. The squirrel seems to like his company.
Day 13
Nathan
Nathan survives the night after retching his guts out all night long. He is recovering from food poisoning. He is on the mend. Tough guy.
Brady
Arts and crafts time as he makes new fishing lures. He uses bones and wire. He leans to fishing and snaring, as bows seem to be a waste of time, based on his research watching Alone past seasons.
He says: “I am here to beat those other contestants…that’s the mission.” He catches a stunning lake trout. Hopefully, he avoids any roe.
Ray
He checks his scissor snare. No kill. He uses a bow and arrow to corner his “only companion” the squirrel and hits it. It’s making terrible squealing pain noises that are hard to listen too, and he puts him down fast.
Squirrel is for dinner. Ray thanks the squirrel for the sustenance.
Michelle
This sturdy Canadian is busy making snares and hunting and fishing. So far the fishing is not going so well, and she is on day 12 of no food. “At home, I am the master fisherman…” she laments. Michelle snares a grouse. “Now I am in the game!” she says.
Ray
End of day 13 as Ray is fortified now. He’s emotional, and he’s heartbroken, the squirrel kill has affected him. “I betrayed him,” he says. Ray is hyper-emotional, and that may be his eventual undoing.
Michelle
Eats her grouse in the shelter, and we hear the fire crackling. She tells us she left home at age 14 — a life of poverty is revealed, homelessness, and “real dark times.”
Suddenly she realizes she has a full-blown shelter fire. The episode fades to black with teases to next week’s episode where someone — maybe two — is tapping out.
Next episode:
Will begin with eight contestants. The damage to Michelle’s shelter will be revealed.
Alone airs Thursday nights at 10 PM on History.