Such a frustrating disappointment

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Don't listen to the negative reviews

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Up until the 2016 season I watched every episode. Often multiple times. Along with anything Les Stroud this has been a great source of information. Yea, sometimes there were kind of obvious setups over the years but those were typically done with a teaching purpose. Overall it didn't involve stupid stunts for no reason that would, in reality get you killed like Bear Grylls.This season is an entirely different beast for this show. Grady is fine and believable. Bill is absolutely terrible and basically unwatchable. You would never see any of the prior Dual Survival guys or Les Stroud cry because they couldn't start a fire nor would you see them obviously hamming it up for the camera. Even Bear Grylls wouldn't cry if he couldn't start a fire. He would just come back and shoot it again the next day with some dry stuff from the hotel.

I haven't given a ranking, because I have no way of judging how accurate the survival information presented is. Which is what the program is supposed to be about. But it's actually about personal conflict. (More about that later.)As human beings have become increasingly effete (the word means weak, not effeminate), programs about "survival in the wild" have become increasingly popular. Discovery has three or four shows about "making it" in Alaska alone.I find it "quaint" that viewers actually believe the participants are in real danger. Only in "Naked and Afraid" do they seem to run any real risk, mostly because they're dumped in areas where there's little or no fresh water or food. Accidents can occur and mistakes made, but the producers aren't stupid enough to take chances. Serious injury or death could result in embarrassing lawsuits, regardless of how cleverly written the contracts are.The underlying purpose of these shows is to create conflict -- people arguing with each other. The survivalists aren't chosen solely for their varying perspectives on survival skills, but (as when making a fire) how much "heat" can be generated by friction between them.This was obvious from the start. Cody Lundin and Dave Canterbury made an irritating odd couple. This viewer found Lundin especially annoying. Though obviously heterosexual, there was something unmanly -- castrato-like -- about the guy. If I were a woman, I wouldn't let him within 10m (33') of me. Canterbury probably felt the same way.Joe Teti and Matt Graham were the opposite. It's hard to believe Graham isn't homosexual (his offer to make Teti a suede loin cloth was charmingly hilarious). Though they argued (especially about Graham's proclivity to hang out and soak up the environment), Graham was often amiable about accepting Teti's way of doing things. It was this general lack of friction (it's surprising they haven't announced their engagement!) that likely explains the short run of their partnership.The current pair comprises Bill McConnell and Grady Powell. They're probably the closest to what the producers had in mind from the start. Powell thinks McConnell is a braggart, but forgives him when he can't start a fire in an impossibly damp environment. (How much of this is real and how much dictated by the producers isn't clear.)Which brings me to what provoked this series review (and the Summary line). McConnell and Powell are forced to spend the night without fire in a cold, damp cave. And get this -- they sleep apart.Who's kidding whom? Are these guys so homophobic they won't lie together to keep warm? Or are the producers afraid of offending viewers?Cowboys spread their bed rolls right next to each other. (Wanna see a photo?) It was mostly to conserve heat, as cloudless nights on the plain got very cold.If you're trying to show people how to avoid freezing to death, you don't reject the simplest and most-obvious solution.

This series has some credibility, that was until Joe Teti joined the program. Usually the criteria and content of context is presented in reasonable pretense. With relevant accuracy and facts for the viewer to process. But the credibility factor went out the window when Joe joined the program. Joe's behavior and half-arsed, amateur stuntman antics undermines the credibility of the producers to bring to the viewer a good piece of entertainment and educational product for the viewing audience. During earlier appearances, his "acting and posing" annoyed his partner in the program (Cody). Joe's bad acting and phony posing, underscores that the show should not be taken seriously, that it is solely an entertainment for the pleasure of the audience.In the episode shot in Hawaii, Joe made a lot of bad errors of show-boatman-ship. 1) randomly hacking away at growing bamboo, to the average viewer you might think "big deal". Except in Hawaii, there are several varieties of bamboo that are on the endangered species list, because very few examples exist in the wilds of Hawaii's islands. Some species of bamboo are exclusive to just one island, while a few species are exclusive to the Hawaiian islands, out of the hundreds of species of bamboo in the world. The state department of natural resources could bar Mr. Teti from ever coming back to Hawaii on the grounds of violating the local laws and ordnances written to protect endangered species. He could just be out right arrested, the next time he shows up in Hawaii. 2) The impromptu, killing of a wild pig - by Joe Teti in the Hawaii episode, was done in bad form. For the crew who were probably trying to shoot the program on the premise of being tourists shooting a documentary. Normally in regular circumstances, to hunt pigs in the wild areas, a permit is required and to register with island game wardens, precautions must be taken to not leave exposed animal remains that could become contaminated and proliferate the spreading of viruses and diseases. I would not be surprised to learn the entire production crew and everyone involved in the shoot of that episode, may be liable for violating county ordnances, laws in the state of Hawaii that protect wildlife and for violating preservation areas. Because many trails are public access, going off the trails is illegal and a fine-able offense. 3) openly violating rules for personal safety and violating animal protection laws in a state of the United States of America, is not a thing to flaunt in a program that anyone could view - and misunderstand, when they go to visit Hawaii on their own.There were no disclaimers on either end of the program, about open violation of laws in the shooting of that episode.There are other loose ends that Joe Teti, has imposed upon the program, that undermines the credibility of the overall program for viewers to consider on the merit of the program as a whole. If you watch with an objective eye, you will see him embarrass himself on every show.

I've really found this program entertaining. I'll miss Dave. But I trust the new special forces guy will be able to keep Cody alive. My analogy - Cody is like the gram-ma lost in the woods with bare feet and skirt and Dave is the guy that gets them home. If I had my choice of who to be lost in the bush with, hands down it would be Dave. I have spent much time in the bush and I am amazed at a what a master of bush-craft Dave is. Outstanding fellow. From not only building a functioning bow but also making arrows and actual arrow heads and fletchings... To rope work in rappelling off cliffs and belaying Cody down places Cody could not down climb with bare feet... To multiple ways of starting fire and transporting fire. .. Finding his directions ... making shelters and on and on!!! All the best to Dave in whatever direction he goes and really looking forward to Cody and the new special forces guy and their adventures!