By Tatsuya King
Alone is a wonderful TV show that breaks the mold of the average show, doing something completely different. Despite its departure from modern and “normal” life problems, Alone is also surprisingly relevant, especially during a time where most people have been holed up in their homes. This show is a charming and educational 40 minutes-an-episode show that will brighten up your day.
When I first found out about Alone, I was with my dad, who was already watching it, and I saw a clip of one of the contestants skinning and preparing a moose that they had just killed with an arrow. Obviously curious, I asked him about it, and he recounted some of the other insane moments he’d seen in the show. I was intrigued, and started watching the show later that day. Good thing I did, because I immediately loved it. I’ve always enjoyed nature and survival shows like Survivorman, and Alone has a similar premise, except with ten people who are competing for a prize. There is a legitimate chance that the people in the show could get hurt, making it all the more tense and compelling. The show isn’t all gritty, and it often brakes the tension with little bits of charm and personality from the contestants. Spending several months in nature does strange things to a person and it is interesting to watch each contestant deal with this on camera.
When the show starts, viewers are introduced to the contestants, as well as the harsh landscape that they will live in. Each contestant is allowed to bring 10 items from a select list, as well as a set of clothing, a medical kit, an emergency radio, and a few other items. The items that different contestants bring greatly affect their time on the show and can often be the difference between win or loss. There are a few items like knives or hatchets that almost everyone will bring, but other items, like a bow and arrow or a gillnet, vary between contestants. As the show progresses, the values or hindrances of these items becomes more apparent.
In a lot of reality tv shows, contestants are chosen for their personality, whether that be their likeability or the drama that they will create, making the show interesting for viewers. On this show, not only are the contestants totally disconnected from each other, but they are also chosen completely for their survival skills and experience. Every contestant is very capable and badass, which makes the whole show inspiring and remarkable. In order to survive, every contestant builds complex shelters, hunts for food, and eats anything that they can get their hands on. The lack of resources also means that every material is used to its fullest. If a contestant catches a rabbit, they will eat everything they can and then use the fur and skin to make a basket. On top of this, because they are so starved for food, each catch is incredibly meaningful, and every contestant is very grateful for the food they can find. Some contestants have also used animal corpses in a less useful way for hand puppets or decoration, helping them for their mental game. Throughout the show, you will watch as each contestant takes a very different approach to survival making it truly fascinating to watch.
For most people, this show seems like a huge detachment from the life they’re used to. On the surface, this is true and those watching will most likely never experience what the contestants do. At the same time, some of the psychological aspects of the show are things that we all deal with. Each contestant is isolated, and they must find ways to deal with the loneliness, similar to what most people are experiencing in a time of Covid-19. While the struggles of Covid isolation are not as bad as the ones these contestants face, the ways in which we combat those struggles are very similar. While we may watch Netflix or play video games to fight the boredom of quarantine, the contestants on the show must find other ways. Watching other people struggle in the wilderness and overcome provides hope that we can make it out okay as well.
Finally, this show is also relevant to many of today’s problems in other ways. Every single contestant is tested only on their skills and ability to survive. Nothing else. On this show, what someone looks like, where they are from, or how much money they have does not matter. It’s a common stereotype that men are the ones who enjoy survival and raw labor, but the women on this show continually outlast the men and prove that they are just as capable. In the end, this show is not only wildly entertaining but is also a highly relevant watch for our current situation.