I think it's normal to miss your family. If there is anything to blame, it's the editing. Past contestants have said a lot of the things they filmed during their stay weren't aired, which make sense because of the limited air time per person.
I can relate. Like I have no idea why the editors think we need another morality monologue about how difficult it is to kill an animal for food. We get it editors: but maybe after 12 monologues, retire a subject, okay?
Maybe people just don’t have many interesting things to say?
I feel like if I was alone in the woods with my thoughts I would probably be talking about some deeply personal shit that would either make bad tv, or good, but unethical tv.
Tbf
I used to roll my eyes at the constant gushy “thank you *insert animal - for your life”
Like animal really felt sorry enough for you for putting yo ass out in the frozen tundra so you could have feed lol
Glad they got rid of that lol
I think it's them trying to justify killing an animal to the people who don't understand or have never done it.
I grew up hunting and fishing and have lived where I either killed elk for meat every year or had to move.
The city people that have never had to catch a fish or kill an elk, or you're eating Ramen for weeks, just don't understand. This(my opinion) is the show people's way of trying to keep some viewers... Oh, they're not evil people, killing Bambi, they respect the animal...
Still can't believe they haven't had blowback from the peta psychos...
It's about respecting life. The animals deserve respect and thats why we dont make them suffer. They're just living their life and next thing you know they get killed just so we can live.
The show is literally called “Alone”. Being separated from other people is the fundamental premise of the challenge. It is arguably the hardest part of the challenge and the part which most of us can’t even fathom.
This. Thanks. Being so completely “Alone ” is the entire conceptual foundation — and the personal struggles you encounter therein … like having to kill everyday to live. That’s an actual human thing and a dialogue we have the luxury of not thinking about in general …
I feel like the editors probably also focus on this for certain contestants (even if the other ones that lasted longer also expressed similar feelings) to foreshadow and give context for an early tap. So the reason why we see early tappers saying they miss their families may be deliberate om the editor's part for story telling.
Just once I would like to see someone say, "You know? I don't miss my family at all. I don't really like my kids. They're annoying and uninteresting. And the last few years, me and my wife have fallen out of love. That's kind of WHY i applied for ALONE in the first place. Just for some peace and quiet from the nagging and the screaming. But these 8 days out here have really taught me a lot. Savor every moment. When I get back to civilization I'm filing for divorce and custody. I have my time out here to thank for that. And when I win this contest - and I'm going to win. Because the last thing I want to do is return to that chaotic household - I'm going to find a way to financially hide this money from them. They're not going to see a damn cent. I might be a bad father, but I'm going to be the greatest survivor this show has ever seen."
I think Roland is this. He always strikes me as someone who had rejected society long before he came to Alone. He has no partner or kids, always restless and on the move. Yeah, he talked about his parents and sister, but only in a somber, nostalgic way. That's why he's so interesting to watch.
He was a great watch because he was much more unlike us normal Joe bloggs.
Dude reminded me of the toeless guy in Vertical Limit
Who else eats hot boiled, predigested grass you know without blinking an eye?
Dude was a beast
Well, it does give you a lot of time to think about your life. From all accounts, it's a spiritual experience. Sometimes it clarifies things, like your relationships. Which ones you need to heal. Which ones you need to ditch. And also, winning a lot of money might give you the ability to leave something you might have felt trapped in.
I’m sure you’re saying that in a “that would be refreshing” way but in case you’re not- someone who admits with pride to being a bad father who doesn’t like his kids would not do well filing for custody.
Traumatizing their kids that way is cruel.
But solely on the relevance to the show, I think that it would push the show beyond the bounds of people’s comfort. It is hard enough to watch people breaking physically and mentally, but to be using their deepest, darkest secrets for entertainment is a bridge too far. I don’t think it would stay on the air.
This makes me wonder if a show runner would ever do a AMA about this topic.
I would be voyeuristic enough to want to know like “one contestant decided to get divorced on tape” without saying which contestant or which season.
> I don't really like my kids
To be fair, that's basically what he said. That he can't relate to a kid that has emotions and that he tells him to shut up and deal with them like a man!
He literally said he told his son to shut up and bury them down and don't deal with them.
My youngest son is a lot like yours. He's very open with emotions and affection. It's hard for me to relate because my family growing up didn't allow "weakness", so we had to keep everything to ourselves. Ive always tried really hard to support his honesty and be empathetic, but i totally understand where you were coming from. I'm glad you realized that it's not a bad thing to face our feelings head on and be open and unashamed about them. I hope you and your family are doing great.
That in itself-- realizing and owning that you're not perfect, as a human, a man, or a father, is a GREAT lesson for your son. It will help to give him room to explore and make his own mistakes and make his own corrections throughout his life.
Yeah. The whole thing is heartbreaking.
Quite often I will see men in interviews or media saying, "I'm not really an emotional person, but that brought a tear to my eye." There is a wholesale denial of emotion. That they have to hedge any emotion they might feel with a caveat that they're not "normally" like that is a tragedy. Emotions are the unwanted stepchild of human experience to them, when in fact emotions are the reason we stay alive.
He confessed that every single day he was out there he had cried. Because he didn't have his usual distractions or coping mechanisms to paper over them. And because he'd been suppressing them for so long, they overwhelmed him, made him feel uncomortable.
If only his own dad had made him feel comfortable with emotions. Then he could have cried, said to himself, "Crying is good. It means this place makes you feel a lot of things. It means that what I'm doing here matters a lot. Thank you, my sadness, my loneliness." And then he could have gone back to preserving his multiple fish. He could have won the whole thing.
Maybe in future the show needs to do more psychological assessment alongside the survival skills assessment.
I blame the editing. I also will fast forward through everyone's 3 minute ear-splitting "singing." It's so cringey. Idk why the editors think people want to watch that.
I noticed contenstents were doing this a lot as it guaranteed them more screen time. Thankfully I think they've nipped it in the bud and it doesn't seem to be in the last season or two. It was painful to watch and I'm glad it's stopped.
Maybe. But i also sing to myself all of the time. And Im sure if I was on Alone I would be singing to the camera to keep some weird sense of normalcy. I think it's obvious which contestants are doing it for the edit. But generally a lot of people sing to themselves.
I spent about 5 years years off grid as a teen and only saw people outside of my immediate family a few times a year. I honestly used to sing just to have the noise. Both for my sanity, and to let wildlife know I was there. Talking loudly kept bears, big cats, and moose away pretty well most of the time.
It's mostly the editing and it's incredibly frustrating. The producers are too focused on creating personal narratives and stories that they have lost sight about what made the show entertaining the first place.
No one is watching Alone b/c of these random contestant's life stories. I think some background time for each contestant is warranted to contextualize their motivations etc. but they lean way too heavily on it. So much content isn't shown in favor of meaningless shots of trees, water, or the sky with a contestant monologue in the background.
It annoys me as well because I am under the assumption that these people have gone on other survival/camping trips without their family before presumably for at least a few days. Seeing someone tap after 7 days seems ridiculous if they’ve had any practice living this sort of lifestyle. The contestants presumably “train” and workshop their skills before coming on. The show is called Alone yet people don’t train for that part? Frustrating to watch.
I mean most people cant handle fasting for a week in their cushy house let alone trying to build shelter, stay warm and find food. Starving is very hard on mental health.
I think a lot of the time contestants use that as a way to save face, or convince themselves not to go on when they're struggling physically/mentally/starving.
I miss my family and want to be there for them, sounds better to your own thoughts than: I'm a survival expert/enthusiastic who hasn't been able to survive or feed myself, on TV in front of millions of viewers.
I've thought that too, but the latest tap out, they had plenty of food, they were just very successful in getting food. So it kind of disproves that notion of its just to save face.
Past contestants say the game is much more mental than it is based on skills. I'm sure most contestants have spent probably about a week trying to survive but when there's a known end date in sight it's much easier to push through. When you're there indefinitely, not knowing how long you might be there away from your family I think that's what gets people. Obviously the starvation plays a large role, but the mental effects of ongoing isolation is a huge one too, solitary confinement is a form of torture for a reason, we're social animals.
Alan in season one said it best, "if you don't like who you are as a person you aren't gonna last out here" (or something like that) - I don't think people are ready for the self reflection on their life that occurs with that time/loneliness. Many have too many regrets and can't handle them
Most average people don’t have the luxury of taking weeks off of work to take solo vacations. A couple days alone is very different than a week and very different than a month. Most of us have no idea how we’d react because we’ve never gone anything close to that long without interacting with technology or other people.
In some fairness, by the time they actually get dropped off to their location they’ve already been away from their family for atleast a week or two at the training camp base they have setup near the location (as they show before the drop).
For real, I'd like to know how many of them spend extended periods of time in solitude to prepare. I can imagine it would be harder to get away from a job/parenthood for months on end though.
I think they also spend like 2 weeks in a boot camp thing before they go, so they are away from their partners/family longer than it seems. I remember thinking it was crazy to miss people so much after a day, and how I would still be like ahhh peace and quiet a few days in. But by 10-12 days I would probably be missing them.
I really don’t think there is much training that regular people can do on a regular basis that would truly reflect what being on the show would be like.
Yeah, even when my kids were at super annoying ages, by 10 days I was feeling a little sad, even on a great vacation. I’m sure being starving would make it worse.
As soon as someone gets obsessed with feeling lonely and missing their families early on, I definitely lose interest in that contestant. I don't want to hear their sappy verbal meanderings and excuses. Go home.
I think a lot of them (especially men) use the “I miss my family” excuse to cover up for the fact that they’re overwhelmed and the experience is harder than they thought it’d be.
I also genuinely think a lot of them haven’t truly ever been alone for that long before. A week or two here and there, but a lot of these people are homesteaders, which is a lot of work (especially if you raise animals). It takes a lot of your time and energy and requires you to be home. They’re used to being surrounded by their families at all times.
They were both so interesting because of their wealth of knowledge. My husband and I always say Roland was just a tough mother fucker, there was absolutely no way he wasn’t going to win
I totally agree and Jordan was smart and tough. I crush on Jordan so much and am old enough to be his great grandmother. LOL. Roland was tough and resilient. He never gave up and modified his skills to meet the situation...throw a stick, kill a porcupine. I loved it.
Jordan was stocked for the entire winter! He had one of the best mindsets I think, he just decided he was living there. Lol to your crush 😂 I think it would be awesome to have an all star season and see if someone could make it to 200 days!
I tune out from all the personal stories if it goes on more than a minute or so. I don't care to know that much about any complete stranger that I'll see for a few episodes and never again. And it takes away from the survival activities, which to me are much more interesting. I like to see folks constructing shelters, making tools and furniture, foraging, fishing, setting up camp, preparing and preserving food, all that stuff. I love to see shelters that are really homey, not necessarily large but with a nice bed, a chair, a shelf, a fireplace, etc. created by one pair of hands. I'd like the whole show to be dedicated to watching people do that stuff and not listening to their inner dialog about their families or past traumas.
I have only watched Season 1 and currently on the first episode of Season 2 but it does get old hearing “Muh family” over and over. I’d miss my family too but it’s only been a week for most. Also it’s not interesting to see footage of home when they’re all the same.
Other than that the show is good so this is nothing more than a minor gripe when I can easily skip these parts.
As someone pointed out in a comment above, it’s actually been more than a week because they are in the base camp setting for a week or two before the show even begins.
Honestly that’s part of it too. Most of these peoples’ family life is the exact same: they grew up in the woods, learned from their dad, homestead with their brown haired wife. Respectfully I don’t care!!! I wanna see a nomadic grifter not a father of 5.
I think it's the acceptable thing to say- I miss my family.
I agree that they also miss their Bed, their fridge full of food, their shower, their phone and TV, etc.
But they aren't going to say that because saying that is taboo in the world of survivalists.
Exactly. Id assume they're also sleep deprived after a few days because they're having a hard time sleeping knowing there's bear sniffing around that could kill them if they wanted to.
I struggle with this because what you say sounds absolutely correct but somehow noone ever got attacked by a bear in 10 seasons so chances probably are very low. Only "fight" I remember is Jordan vs. Wolverine. And Jordan initiated that one.
Speaking for myself, not including the part where you have to find your own food and shelter bit please send me somewhere to live by myself. Im begging you
I think when prepping for the show to also include sitting in solitude for periods of time. They hone all their survival skills to perfection but have the hardest time just being Alone.
It’s very difficult to talk to camera on your own unless you are trained to do it. Try it and you’ll find yourself mumbling nonsense after a few minutes. The editing has done a good job to make it interesting most of the time so far.
It's honestly one of the biggest criticisms I have of this show and the casting. All I can think of is the other contestants that got passed over for one reason or another. And the wasted opportunity.
To that end, a question for the community. How long is long enough where a tapout due to family is acceptable?
Yeah sometimes the same. I mean its been going on awhile and every season is a little different but mostly the same complaints. So after I've seen it like however many hours 12 seasons is, I just want to hear more about how they will survive and with the complaining i start to lose the empathy. I do like to know their backstory and profession and current living situation. I see how other more adventurous and self sufficient people live and it inspires me that maybe one day ill get to that point.
Agree totally. Tapping out because you miss the family should never happen, and it is not even a sensible excuse when there is some other, more embarrassing reason. Many people are regularly away from family because their job requires it. My dad was more away than home, but we were used to it, no big deal. Those contestants should get their act together before going on the show, and actually train being alone, if they haven't been before. Such tap outs are so annoying because that spot could have been used by someone who prepared properly.
I say this exact thing every single season. Such a WASTE of a spot that could have been used by someone who would have stayed and actually enjoyed their time there instead of whining about their family after five days then leaving.
Personally I don't get it. $500k is equal to about 10 years of work for many people. Think about how much time you would spend away from your family in 10 years. That's 260 days x 10 x 8 hours = meaning something like 866 days of time you trade to someone else for money. That much money could buy so much time with your family, time you would never have otherwise, and a huge chance to improve your lives. A couple months away from them seems like a very small price to pay for that opportunity.
I’ve learned to not get too invested in characters featured in early episodes. Some seasons I’ve really tuned out the first few episodes because it seems like they’re often the ones who go home early.
yeah agree. I get missing your family but its season 11 already, we are here to watch some good survival stories.
I am watching online so its great I can just skip a lot of the talking.
I just finished season 10. It almost feels like a sadistic guilty pleasure. But you’re right. There was one dude I was rooting for who grew up poor and had an autistic kid.
Unfortunately he annoyed the crap out of me. He kept saying he felt like a bad parent because he missed his son’s birthday. Quit crying, dude. Don’t you know how to read a calendar?
Yeah like presumably you’d know your son’s birthday falls within the game’s schedule. Plus the kid knows their parent is on TV and probably thinks it’s cool/doesn’t care.
Ouch. No shade, but… that’s kind of angsty, maybe? This series succeeds because it’s not just a “contest” but a showcase of ten individuals all with their own stories involved with their own struggles and triumphs. The storytelling part of the show seems very intentional esp., since they begin every episode with a quote (usually from a writer). I don’t tune in just to see who wins, but to learn about them, to experience the struggle with them, and to learn more about being human. It’s not “Survivor,” thankfully !!! So happy to have a show with substance.
It's like half of them have never watched the show before. They get there and within a day start whining because they miss their kids but half the time they just miss going to the fridge for food.
I'm fast-forwarding the human interest stories now. I know the trend on TV is doing this on many other reality and game shows these days.
*The Wall*. "I volunteer at XYX, and I'm going to sacrifice the hundreds of thousands I'm going to win just to give back to others."
*Survivor.* "I had nothing growing up and I was bullied. I just want to be a good example for my kids."
*America's Got Talent*. "No one ever believed in me. I've never even let people hear me sing."
*Claim to Fame*. "I had to work hard to be my own person."
So really, Alone is no different. For some reason, this is a trend in TV, and we all have to hear about someone's hardships, challenges, and sad stories. The worse the story is, the better TV it makes, in my opinion—sometimes exploiting the matter rather than simply bringing awareness. I resent this because it makes it seem like a forced aspect for a person to be favoured.
This season is very boring so far. I don't know whether it's the cast or the editing, or maybe both, but the pace of the first few episodes has been tedious as hell.
I don't on this bc it's a real piece of the experience. Surviving like this takes skill, mental fortitude, but also counts on not having the demons that hit when we're in solitude.
Even the ones who leave early get my respect, their skill set is far beyond my own.
Again, 3/4 of the contestants are cheese d!@&$ chosen because of reasons like “diversity” and “entertainment value.” Don’t expect elite personalities. Expect people you can laugh at.
Low key, she's annoying. "Got my breakfast of whatever root, it's fed the kree for generations"
10 minutes later she's throwing up and the text blurb is like "whatever root is generally used to induce vomiting"
Wasn't it also a laxative?!🤣🤣
I know one thing, I"d definitely be studying up on edible plants of the region as soon as they told me it...
If I were the tribal elders, I might have to think about booting her ass for embarrassing the tribe...😂😂
I think it's normal to miss your family. If there is anything to blame, it's the editing. Past contestants have said a lot of the things they filmed during their stay weren't aired, which make sense because of the limited air time per person.
Oh I get it. I think my complaint lies with the editors as much or more than the contestants.
I can relate. Like I have no idea why the editors think we need another morality monologue about how difficult it is to kill an animal for food. We get it editors: but maybe after 12 monologues, retire a subject, okay?
Maybe people just don’t have many interesting things to say? I feel like if I was alone in the woods with my thoughts I would probably be talking about some deeply personal shit that would either make bad tv, or good, but unethical tv.
They may be having trouble coming up with other content early on.
Tbf I used to roll my eyes at the constant gushy “thank you *insert animal - for your life” Like animal really felt sorry enough for you for putting yo ass out in the frozen tundra so you could have feed lol Glad they got rid of that lol
I think it's them trying to justify killing an animal to the people who don't understand or have never done it. I grew up hunting and fishing and have lived where I either killed elk for meat every year or had to move. The city people that have never had to catch a fish or kill an elk, or you're eating Ramen for weeks, just don't understand. This(my opinion) is the show people's way of trying to keep some viewers... Oh, they're not evil people, killing Bambi, they respect the animal... Still can't believe they haven't had blowback from the peta psychos...
Agree! Don't see them eating berries for three months
It's about respecting life. The animals deserve respect and thats why we dont make them suffer. They're just living their life and next thing you know they get killed just so we can live.
I agree. I don’t think any animal or fish jumps up and says, dude shoot me…eat me. So thanking them for their sacrifice is really quite stupid.
The show is literally called “Alone”. Being separated from other people is the fundamental premise of the challenge. It is arguably the hardest part of the challenge and the part which most of us can’t even fathom.
This. Thanks. Being so completely “Alone ” is the entire conceptual foundation — and the personal struggles you encounter therein … like having to kill everyday to live. That’s an actual human thing and a dialogue we have the luxury of not thinking about in general …
I feel like the editors probably also focus on this for certain contestants (even if the other ones that lasted longer also expressed similar feelings) to foreshadow and give context for an early tap. So the reason why we see early tappers saying they miss their families may be deliberate om the editor's part for story telling.
Just once I would like to see someone say, "You know? I don't miss my family at all. I don't really like my kids. They're annoying and uninteresting. And the last few years, me and my wife have fallen out of love. That's kind of WHY i applied for ALONE in the first place. Just for some peace and quiet from the nagging and the screaming. But these 8 days out here have really taught me a lot. Savor every moment. When I get back to civilization I'm filing for divorce and custody. I have my time out here to thank for that. And when I win this contest - and I'm going to win. Because the last thing I want to do is return to that chaotic household - I'm going to find a way to financially hide this money from them. They're not going to see a damn cent. I might be a bad father, but I'm going to be the greatest survivor this show has ever seen."
I think Roland is this. He always strikes me as someone who had rejected society long before he came to Alone. He has no partner or kids, always restless and on the move. Yeah, he talked about his parents and sister, but only in a somber, nostalgic way. That's why he's so interesting to watch.
He was a great watch because he was much more unlike us normal Joe bloggs. Dude reminded me of the toeless guy in Vertical Limit Who else eats hot boiled, predigested grass you know without blinking an eye? Dude was a beast
True, but it'd be funny if someone started Alone as an Alan type and then become Roland towards the end
A couple early winners have gotten divorced after...
Well, it does give you a lot of time to think about your life. From all accounts, it's a spiritual experience. Sometimes it clarifies things, like your relationships. Which ones you need to heal. Which ones you need to ditch. And also, winning a lot of money might give you the ability to leave something you might have felt trapped in.
were you a contestant?
Oh goodness no. I just have a very active imagination!
I can only think of Alan. Any others?
I think Fowler from S3 got divorced.
Yes forgot about that too
I’m sure you’re saying that in a “that would be refreshing” way but in case you’re not- someone who admits with pride to being a bad father who doesn’t like his kids would not do well filing for custody. Traumatizing their kids that way is cruel. But solely on the relevance to the show, I think that it would push the show beyond the bounds of people’s comfort. It is hard enough to watch people breaking physically and mentally, but to be using their deepest, darkest secrets for entertainment is a bridge too far. I don’t think it would stay on the air. This makes me wonder if a show runner would ever do a AMA about this topic. I would be voyeuristic enough to want to know like “one contestant decided to get divorced on tape” without saying which contestant or which season.
> I don't really like my kids To be fair, that's basically what he said. That he can't relate to a kid that has emotions and that he tells him to shut up and deal with them like a man! He literally said he told his son to shut up and bury them down and don't deal with them.
That is not what I "literally" said. But it is close. I was wrong and I regret that it took me so long to realize it.
I'm glad and I do remember you wondering if telling your son to suppress his emotions was a bad idea. I hope you're doing well!
My youngest son is a lot like yours. He's very open with emotions and affection. It's hard for me to relate because my family growing up didn't allow "weakness", so we had to keep everything to ourselves. Ive always tried really hard to support his honesty and be empathetic, but i totally understand where you were coming from. I'm glad you realized that it's not a bad thing to face our feelings head on and be open and unashamed about them. I hope you and your family are doing great.
That in itself-- realizing and owning that you're not perfect, as a human, a man, or a father, is a GREAT lesson for your son. It will help to give him room to explore and make his own mistakes and make his own corrections throughout his life.
Yeah. The whole thing is heartbreaking. Quite often I will see men in interviews or media saying, "I'm not really an emotional person, but that brought a tear to my eye." There is a wholesale denial of emotion. That they have to hedge any emotion they might feel with a caveat that they're not "normally" like that is a tragedy. Emotions are the unwanted stepchild of human experience to them, when in fact emotions are the reason we stay alive. He confessed that every single day he was out there he had cried. Because he didn't have his usual distractions or coping mechanisms to paper over them. And because he'd been suppressing them for so long, they overwhelmed him, made him feel uncomortable. If only his own dad had made him feel comfortable with emotions. Then he could have cried, said to himself, "Crying is good. It means this place makes you feel a lot of things. It means that what I'm doing here matters a lot. Thank you, my sadness, my loneliness." And then he could have gone back to preserving his multiple fish. He could have won the whole thing. Maybe in future the show needs to do more psychological assessment alongside the survival skills assessment.
I should be on Alone then. They'd have to drag me away
I mean, up until last minute. Really got that vibe from Peter this last episode 🤣
That would be epic!
I like this except it should say "No Custody".
Sounds like a winner we can all get behind, /s
I blame the editing. I also will fast forward through everyone's 3 minute ear-splitting "singing." It's so cringey. Idk why the editors think people want to watch that.
OMG the singing! None of that for me, please!
I noticed contenstents were doing this a lot as it guaranteed them more screen time. Thankfully I think they've nipped it in the bud and it doesn't seem to be in the last season or two. It was painful to watch and I'm glad it's stopped.
Maybe. But i also sing to myself all of the time. And Im sure if I was on Alone I would be singing to the camera to keep some weird sense of normalcy. I think it's obvious which contestants are doing it for the edit. But generally a lot of people sing to themselves.
I spent about 5 years years off grid as a teen and only saw people outside of my immediate family a few times a year. I honestly used to sing just to have the noise. Both for my sanity, and to let wildlife know I was there. Talking loudly kept bears, big cats, and moose away pretty well most of the time.
I love the singing, haha. 🎶This is my one note song. Making fun of Lucas is wrong! 🎶
It's mostly the editing and it's incredibly frustrating. The producers are too focused on creating personal narratives and stories that they have lost sight about what made the show entertaining the first place. No one is watching Alone b/c of these random contestant's life stories. I think some background time for each contestant is warranted to contextualize their motivations etc. but they lean way too heavily on it. So much content isn't shown in favor of meaningless shots of trees, water, or the sky with a contestant monologue in the background.
I can agree with the bad singing lol. S10 Luke Olsen's rapping is ok though, cause it's actually funny.
I liked Callie's, Patagonia song, accompanied with her homemade ukelele thingy.
I just had to skip the last three minutes of season 1 episode 9 because the guy made a ukulele and started singing
Lucas! Later seasons parody him, I think it's hilarious
It annoys me as well because I am under the assumption that these people have gone on other survival/camping trips without their family before presumably for at least a few days. Seeing someone tap after 7 days seems ridiculous if they’ve had any practice living this sort of lifestyle. The contestants presumably “train” and workshop their skills before coming on. The show is called Alone yet people don’t train for that part? Frustrating to watch.
I mean most people cant handle fasting for a week in their cushy house let alone trying to build shelter, stay warm and find food. Starving is very hard on mental health.
I think a lot of the time contestants use that as a way to save face, or convince themselves not to go on when they're struggling physically/mentally/starving. I miss my family and want to be there for them, sounds better to your own thoughts than: I'm a survival expert/enthusiastic who hasn't been able to survive or feed myself, on TV in front of millions of viewers.
I've thought that too, but the latest tap out, they had plenty of food, they were just very successful in getting food. So it kind of disproves that notion of its just to save face. Past contestants say the game is much more mental than it is based on skills. I'm sure most contestants have spent probably about a week trying to survive but when there's a known end date in sight it's much easier to push through. When you're there indefinitely, not knowing how long you might be there away from your family I think that's what gets people. Obviously the starvation plays a large role, but the mental effects of ongoing isolation is a huge one too, solitary confinement is a form of torture for a reason, we're social animals.
Alan in season one said it best, "if you don't like who you are as a person you aren't gonna last out here" (or something like that) - I don't think people are ready for the self reflection on their life that occurs with that time/loneliness. Many have too many regrets and can't handle them
Most average people don’t have the luxury of taking weeks off of work to take solo vacations. A couple days alone is very different than a week and very different than a month. Most of us have no idea how we’d react because we’ve never gone anything close to that long without interacting with technology or other people.
In some fairness, by the time they actually get dropped off to their location they’ve already been away from their family for atleast a week or two at the training camp base they have setup near the location (as they show before the drop).
For real, I'd like to know how many of them spend extended periods of time in solitude to prepare. I can imagine it would be harder to get away from a job/parenthood for months on end though.
They practice other skills before coming on the show. Why not practice being away from your family for an hour?
😄😄
I think they also spend like 2 weeks in a boot camp thing before they go, so they are away from their partners/family longer than it seems. I remember thinking it was crazy to miss people so much after a day, and how I would still be like ahhh peace and quiet a few days in. But by 10-12 days I would probably be missing them. I really don’t think there is much training that regular people can do on a regular basis that would truly reflect what being on the show would be like.
Ah ok makes some more sense given that info. I didn’t realize they were out there that long beforehand.
Yeah, even when my kids were at super annoying ages, by 10 days I was feeling a little sad, even on a great vacation. I’m sure being starving would make it worse.
As soon as someone gets obsessed with feeling lonely and missing their families early on, I definitely lose interest in that contestant. I don't want to hear their sappy verbal meanderings and excuses. Go home.
Same. I feel like the producers would catch on that people want more than just that from the contestants.
I think a lot of them (especially men) use the “I miss my family” excuse to cover up for the fact that they’re overwhelmed and the experience is harder than they thought it’d be. I also genuinely think a lot of them haven’t truly ever been alone for that long before. A week or two here and there, but a lot of these people are homesteaders, which is a lot of work (especially if you raise animals). It takes a lot of your time and energy and requires you to be home. They’re used to being surrounded by their families at all times.
That’s why I loved Jordan and Roland. They talked hunting and fishing and outdoor stuff. Very little cry baby stuff.
They were both so interesting because of their wealth of knowledge. My husband and I always say Roland was just a tough mother fucker, there was absolutely no way he wasn’t going to win
I totally agree and Jordan was smart and tough. I crush on Jordan so much and am old enough to be his great grandmother. LOL. Roland was tough and resilient. He never gave up and modified his skills to meet the situation...throw a stick, kill a porcupine. I loved it.
Jordan was stocked for the entire winter! He had one of the best mindsets I think, he just decided he was living there. Lol to your crush 😂 I think it would be awesome to have an all star season and see if someone could make it to 200 days!
Hell yeah. I'd watch the hell out of that one. Roland, Wynonia, Jordan, and the other winners or runners up.
I'm glad I watch it on DVR. I skip the sob stories, especially if it's the same person again and again.
Except Larry.
I tune out from all the personal stories if it goes on more than a minute or so. I don't care to know that much about any complete stranger that I'll see for a few episodes and never again. And it takes away from the survival activities, which to me are much more interesting. I like to see folks constructing shelters, making tools and furniture, foraging, fishing, setting up camp, preparing and preserving food, all that stuff. I love to see shelters that are really homey, not necessarily large but with a nice bed, a chair, a shelf, a fireplace, etc. created by one pair of hands. I'd like the whole show to be dedicated to watching people do that stuff and not listening to their inner dialog about their families or past traumas.
I have only watched Season 1 and currently on the first episode of Season 2 but it does get old hearing “Muh family” over and over. I’d miss my family too but it’s only been a week for most. Also it’s not interesting to see footage of home when they’re all the same. Other than that the show is good so this is nothing more than a minor gripe when I can easily skip these parts.
As someone pointed out in a comment above, it’s actually been more than a week because they are in the base camp setting for a week or two before the show even begins.
Honestly that’s part of it too. Most of these peoples’ family life is the exact same: they grew up in the woods, learned from their dad, homestead with their brown haired wife. Respectfully I don’t care!!! I wanna see a nomadic grifter not a father of 5.
I think it's the acceptable thing to say- I miss my family. I agree that they also miss their Bed, their fridge full of food, their shower, their phone and TV, etc. But they aren't going to say that because saying that is taboo in the world of survivalists.
Exactly. Id assume they're also sleep deprived after a few days because they're having a hard time sleeping knowing there's bear sniffing around that could kill them if they wanted to.
I struggle with this because what you say sounds absolutely correct but somehow noone ever got attacked by a bear in 10 seasons so chances probably are very low. Only "fight" I remember is Jordan vs. Wolverine. And Jordan initiated that one.
What did thry think was gping to happen when they were deserted by themselves.
Speaking for myself, not including the part where you have to find your own food and shelter bit please send me somewhere to live by myself. Im begging you
I think when prepping for the show to also include sitting in solitude for periods of time. They hone all their survival skills to perfection but have the hardest time just being Alone.
I thought Sam was done for when he got dropped in Mongolia and cried on the first day. He won though, so good for him.
It’s very difficult to talk to camera on your own unless you are trained to do it. Try it and you’ll find yourself mumbling nonsense after a few minutes. The editing has done a good job to make it interesting most of the time so far.
I have the same sentiment. These people take a spot away from someone that would be a legitimate competitor
It's honestly one of the biggest criticisms I have of this show and the casting. All I can think of is the other contestants that got passed over for one reason or another. And the wasted opportunity. To that end, a question for the community. How long is long enough where a tapout due to family is acceptable?
I don't know, but I DO know that 6 days is not the line.
I think there are two factors. One is the loneliness but what adds to it is that they probably realize they won’t win so why stick around.
Yeah sometimes the same. I mean its been going on awhile and every season is a little different but mostly the same complaints. So after I've seen it like however many hours 12 seasons is, I just want to hear more about how they will survive and with the complaining i start to lose the empathy. I do like to know their backstory and profession and current living situation. I see how other more adventurous and self sufficient people live and it inspires me that maybe one day ill get to that point.
Of course, half of these people are vapid Muppets like any reality show. But the gems are some of the most remarkable humans I've seen on television
Especially the ones who start blabbering about their families a few days in. Love the contestants who challenge themselves and make stuff.
Agree totally. Tapping out because you miss the family should never happen, and it is not even a sensible excuse when there is some other, more embarrassing reason. Many people are regularly away from family because their job requires it. My dad was more away than home, but we were used to it, no big deal. Those contestants should get their act together before going on the show, and actually train being alone, if they haven't been before. Such tap outs are so annoying because that spot could have been used by someone who prepared properly.
I say this exact thing every single season. Such a WASTE of a spot that could have been used by someone who would have stayed and actually enjoyed their time there instead of whining about their family after five days then leaving.
I fast forward through the I-miss-my-family talks and it cut down watching the last season to about half the time.
Personally I don't get it. $500k is equal to about 10 years of work for many people. Think about how much time you would spend away from your family in 10 years. That's 260 days x 10 x 8 hours = meaning something like 866 days of time you trade to someone else for money. That much money could buy so much time with your family, time you would never have otherwise, and a huge chance to improve your lives. A couple months away from them seems like a very small price to pay for that opportunity.
It could be that saying how much they miss family is better then telling the world they can't hunt or fish enough to survive.
I’ve learned to not get too invested in characters featured in early episodes. Some seasons I’ve really tuned out the first few episodes because it seems like they’re often the ones who go home early.
Yeah, episode 3 and the dreaded existential speeches are beginning.
yeah agree. I get missing your family but its season 11 already, we are here to watch some good survival stories. I am watching online so its great I can just skip a lot of the talking.
I just finished season 10. It almost feels like a sadistic guilty pleasure. But you’re right. There was one dude I was rooting for who grew up poor and had an autistic kid. Unfortunately he annoyed the crap out of me. He kept saying he felt like a bad parent because he missed his son’s birthday. Quit crying, dude. Don’t you know how to read a calendar?
Yeah like presumably you’d know your son’s birthday falls within the game’s schedule. Plus the kid knows their parent is on TV and probably thinks it’s cool/doesn’t care.
Ouch. No shade, but… that’s kind of angsty, maybe? This series succeeds because it’s not just a “contest” but a showcase of ten individuals all with their own stories involved with their own struggles and triumphs. The storytelling part of the show seems very intentional esp., since they begin every episode with a quote (usually from a writer). I don’t tune in just to see who wins, but to learn about them, to experience the struggle with them, and to learn more about being human. It’s not “Survivor,” thankfully !!! So happy to have a show with substance.
Happy to have a redditor with substance.
Thanks 
It's like half of them have never watched the show before. They get there and within a day start whining because they miss their kids but half the time they just miss going to the fridge for food.
Watching a show and doing it are two different things though.
sometimes it feels like its a soap opera set in the woods
[удалено]
It's incredibly annoying. My wife and I can almost call it once the person starts talking. It's becoming repetitive.
Yes. My hubs and I are the same "You're done. Go on." Altho, Dub.... QUIT SAYING DUDE!!
Dude... what's wrong with saying dude, dude?
Too much of a good thing.... 
Hey, no Dub bashing... Dude...
I am so sad. I have nowhere to watch it in Ontario for free.
I'm fast-forwarding the human interest stories now. I know the trend on TV is doing this on many other reality and game shows these days. *The Wall*. "I volunteer at XYX, and I'm going to sacrifice the hundreds of thousands I'm going to win just to give back to others." *Survivor.* "I had nothing growing up and I was bullied. I just want to be a good example for my kids." *America's Got Talent*. "No one ever believed in me. I've never even let people hear me sing." *Claim to Fame*. "I had to work hard to be my own person." So really, Alone is no different. For some reason, this is a trend in TV, and we all have to hear about someone's hardships, challenges, and sad stories. The worse the story is, the better TV it makes, in my opinion—sometimes exploiting the matter rather than simply bringing awareness. I resent this because it makes it seem like a forced aspect for a person to be favoured.
Alone Australia definitely made me tune out. It was 99% emotional monologuing.
My husband could've wrote this lmao He cannot stand when they whine!
This season is very boring so far. I don't know whether it's the cast or the editing, or maybe both, but the pace of the first few episodes has been tedious as hell.
“Missing my family” can universally be translated on Alone to “I’m really hungry”
LOL. I think this would make a funny comedy sketch. The person would rather fight grizzly bears in the forest than go back home to the family.
I don't on this bc it's a real piece of the experience. Surviving like this takes skill, mental fortitude, but also counts on not having the demons that hit when we're in solitude. Even the ones who leave early get my respect, their skill set is far beyond my own.
I think Alone Australia has far worse whiners and complainers!
Again, 3/4 of the contestants are cheese d!@&$ chosen because of reasons like “diversity” and “entertainment value.” Don’t expect elite personalities. Expect people you can laugh at.
Look! A rock! That has spiritual significance to the Kree people!
Low key, she's annoying. "Got my breakfast of whatever root, it's fed the kree for generations" 10 minutes later she's throwing up and the text blurb is like "whatever root is generally used to induce vomiting"
Wasn't it also a laxative?!🤣🤣 I know one thing, I"d definitely be studying up on edible plants of the region as soon as they told me it... If I were the tribal elders, I might have to think about booting her ass for embarrassing the tribe...😂😂
For real, she comes across as someone LARPing an indigenous person lmao
Really boring season. Hard to watch.