Naked And Afraid Season 4 Episodes 5-8 Reviews: Fires, Rats And Toads

In "Fire on the Mountain" Trenton and Jennifer make a go of it in Udhampur, India. There are leopards, monkeys and deadly black scorpions. The weather patterns are unpredictable. It's dry and hot but can cold at night in the mountains. For survival items, Trenton brings a Kukri (a Nepalese machete) and Jennifer brings a pot.

Jennifer doesnt have many skills. Is it me or are there more people this season that dont have any real survival experience? At least she has some people skills to compensate (which at times may be almost as important).

Jennifer gets sick and throws up. It's a good thing Trenton is a paramedic but I'm not sure how willing he is to help her.

Trenton is very protective of his machete and wont let Jennifer use it. And so it begins. They finally have a blow out during a rain storm. Trenton leaves the shelter but later apologizes and they start to work together as a team.

Trenton finds a scorpion and later gets a bird (whose blood he drinks). There's a fire nearby but luckily Jennifer and Trenton dont have to evacuate. They make it up the mountain to the extraction point.

PSR:
Trenton: beginning 7.4, ending 8.2
Jennifer: beginning 6.4, ending 6.9

Darrin And Angela

In episode 6 "Lord of the Rats" Darrin and Angela tackle Koh Mook Thailand. For survival items Darin brings rope and Angela brings a machete. The have been given a primitive fire starter. The team must deal with possibly diseased monkeys (who steal their stuff), rats, King Cobra snakes and biting ants.

The two end up in a cave which helps protect them from the elements. Darrin makes shoes from his rope. Good idea! They find some bananas but cant eat them right away. It takes 4-7 days for the bananas to completely ripen. He steams them to convert the starches to sugar. Darrin also kills a few rats and eats them. Angela is a vegetarian so doesnt partake. Darrin later gets some coconuts which she does enjoy.

Despite their very different life views (Angela thinks Darrin a bit of a psychopath when he keeps killing things), both manage to survive. Darrin may not have good people skills but he definitely knows how to survive in the wild. I think Angela was too hard on him personally.

The team hike across the island and then use the rafts they built to swim out to the awaiting boat. Angela gets there first. She is a marathon runner (and mother of five children) after all. She jumps back in the water though to save Darrin (who is struggling).

Favorite quote by Darrin "I live on hippie, Indian, stoner time".

PSR: Darrin: beginning 7.8, ending 8.2 (Darrin should have had a higher score)
Angela: beginning 6.1, ending 6.3

Charlie And Dani B Are My Favorite Team Of The Season (And Possibly The Series)

In episode 7 "Colombian Conflict" Charlie and Dani B (since there is also a Dani J on "Naked & Afraid") attempt to survive the Colombian jungle. Again we have a vegetarian paired with a carnivore. That is some times a recipe for disaster (no pun intended). Time will tell. They must contend with venomous snakes, poisonous frogs (who are also very cute) and unruly cayman. Charlie is retired from the marines and a builder. He was apparently on "Flip This House". Who knew? Dani B is a wilderness EMT. Charlie has a machete and Dani has a fire starter.

They boil water in some bamboo tubes. This works well. Charlie cuts his finger (not once but twice). He is very macho and tries to order Dani around. I dont think he means anything bad. He's just trying to be "the guy". Dani asserts her independence (and she is quietly a badass).

Charlie thinks about quitting on Day 18. He hasnt been able find any meat (except for some mussels and snails). He set traps for armadillos and fish but didnt find anything. Dani finds a toad. She has never killed an animal in her life but Charlie needs the meat desperately. He is very appreciative of her sacrifice.

They tear down their shelter and carry some of the materials through the woods. They build a raft to get down river to their extraction point. Charlie gets stung by a bunch of bees along the way. When the contestants get to the ocean, they still have to swim through some very rough currents to their rescue boat. Luckily both make it without drowning.

I thought these two might have major conflict (especially given the title of the episode) but they eventually got along very well and have become one of my favorite couples.

PSR:
Charlie: beginning 7.2, ending 7.5
Danielle (ie Dani B): beginning 6.9, ending 7.5

Episode 8 "Bares All: Survival In Close Quarters" features contestants talking about their adventures including the highs, lows and weird moments. Just remember, hygiene is important even in the wild. And lots of things like to bite your naughty bits.

Grade: No grade assigned since this is a reality show.

Photo Credits:
https://www.notey.com/blogs/tv-news--AND-amp-SEMI--program-updates?page=10
http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/naked-and-afraid/
https://twitter.com/nakedandafraid/status/605842707190157312

World According To GMonster
TV: Heavy On Sci Fi, Horror & Adventure; Light On Reality

August 4, 2015