Alone (2015–…): Season 4, Episode 6 - Thicker Than Water - full transcript
As Vancouver Island is pummeled by torrential rains, the remaining teams scramble to avoid freezing flood waters. One team attempts a massive construction project that could be their key to survival.
[dramatic music]
*
- Jim's here.
Yeah.
You [bleep] did it.
- Whoa. Yes.
- Wow. Look at that
six-pound whopper.
- Oh, I'm so happy
we're gonna be eating tonight.
- Whoa.
- Fish on?
- Yeah. Oh, yeah.
Whoo-hoo.
We have what it takes
to win this.
- Cheers, baby.
- Jim's crab trap is
revealing its head.
- No!
- Nothing?
That's devastating, Jim.
*
*
- This is gonna be
an incredible challenge.
- We're gonna be dropped off
in separate locations
and one of us
has to find the other.
- Where did they go?
- I gotta wait on my brother.
- Oh!
- Hopefully he'll be here soon.
- Please come tomorrow.
- I don't know where
I'm going,
how long I'm gonna
be out here.
All I have
is a compass bearing.
- It's a needle
in a haystack.
Can I even make it
to base camp?
- Dad!
- Son!
- No way.
- Everything around you is
telling you
you need to go home.
[air horn blows]
- Please leave me alone!
- If you don't work as a team
it's game over.
- I can't hold the whole--
- Just hold it still.
- $500,000 would be
live-changing.
- I know.
- I feel like the life
was sucked out of me.
- He's coming.
He sees me.
*
*
*
*
*
- Oh, my God.
I just felt, like,
just water come through.
Oh, my God, dude.
- Somehow the ground tarp
we're sleeping on
was getting some water
back on it
and it pooled back in
towards Jim
and has soaked through
his sleeping bag
and soaked his pants.
- This whole area
completely soaked through.
Dude, look.
From here to here.
- How did you let
that happen, dude?
- I didn't.
I just woke up
and it was soaked through, dude.
*
- This is a rain forest
and it's just dumping rain.
It doesn't matter how many
more layers you put on top.
You just start getting
absolutely freezing
and you're so miserable.
I mean, this is no joke.
The weather around here
will kick your ass.
- Soon as your sleeping bag
gets wet,
it really doesn't hold the heat
and you start
to freeze at night.
You know, that means
that there could be a chance
of some
really serious problems.
So, I'm gonna have to dry
my sleeping bag
and my pants out now.
*
The slightest breeze blows
through our shelter
and just rips the heat
right out of our sleeping bags
and chills us to the bone.
If this rain picks up,
it's gonna wash us
right out of here.
*
*
*
- How can one place
get so much rain?
This is just amazing.
*
Just wondering
how many inches of rain
we've gotten
since we've been here.
We're situated on an inlet
surrounded by mountains.
So there's some rain and then
these mountains funnel
these incredible gusts of wind
that come through like
some mythological beast,
and it's scary.
It is scary.
[wind howling]
*
Even in the most miserable
weather,
you have to get out,
and you have to, uh--
you gotta keep your body moving,
otherwise things
just start getting sore
and stiff and--
- When you're old.
- Yeah.
Especially when you're old.
[laughter]
Yeah, thanks, buddy.
I appreciate that.
Really, I have no business
being out here.
I'm too damn old to be
doing this [bleep],
but my son dragged me
out here with him, so...
*
Well, I don't know.
Maybe it is starting
to lighten up.
And we may get a little break
here in the afternoon.
*
It's not like you want
to do this,
but we can only fish
on the low tides,
and it's so important that
when we can fish
we give it a try.
*
Sam has told me
he doesn't think
that he could have done this
with someone else.
*
I can't even tell you
how great that makes me feel.
Okay, baby, come on.
Let's catch a fish.
*
Coming out here and doing this
with this old man,
I think it's impressed him.
*
Hey!
- Oh, nice catch, Dad.
- Yes!
- Oh, I'm so excited.
I'm so happy we got something.
- I think every dad wants
their son
to look up to him
and be proud of him.
- There it is.
What do you got there?
- This is a black rock bass.
I like to think
he's proud of me.
- This is incredible.
Oh, this is such good news.
- Better get another line
in the water.
*
Here comes the rain again.
- Yep.
- Here comes the wind.
*
[Bleep] damn.
- Holy cow.
*
There's a huge storm
rolling in.
The wind's whipping.
*
- This is insane.
*
It's like a hurricane.
*
- Holy cow.
- It sure is.
*
- Phew-wee.
*
- Oh, [bleep].
- What do you think?
- I think we should
probably head back.
I think it's the smart thing
to do.
Let's get out of here.
- Yeah.
It's hitting me
in the face right now.
*
- [grunts]
*
Wind is killing me.
*
*
*
*
- Oh, my God, dude.
*
We are in standing water now.
- Wow.
God.
- To see this river of water
running through here
blows my mind.
If you need some water,
let me know.
I'm the guy
with the source here.
- Oh!
- Man.
I decided I wanted to move
my bivvy down,
so when I got up and I look and
there's a damn river of water.
I can't believe I caught it
when I did, you know?
Look at the amount of water
coming through there.
- Wow.
That's not good.
- So, we're gonna have to go
get another tarp here
that we're using
for water catching
and set us up a good tarp floor
of the shelter.
Just have to empty it out,
which totally breaks my heart,
but you got to do
what you got to do.
*
When this place
is raining heavily
and muddy,
it's a miserable place.
That's when the mind
is gonna turn to those
other things like my family.
All I can think about
is my wife and kids.
I did not expect
that I would have
such deep longings
to be with my family.
It's really caught me
off guard.
*
My mind is saying,
"I don't want to be here.
I'd rather be at home."
*
I really wonder
if Brody feels the same way.
*
Today is a great example
of the kind of weather that,
if you get wet,
it could get you hypothermic.
This is the water
underneath my tarp right now.
We are officially on the verge
of being flooded.
If we can't stay
in a dry environment,
long-term survival here,
I just don't really
see it possible.
*
*
*
- All right, so, today
is just an absolute downpour,
and it also happens
to be high tide.
*
Here you can see the tide.
*
And that's the back wall
of our shelter right there.
It's rising incredibly quick.
*
You know, normally
the water's way out there.
Holy [bleep].
*
- Right now, it's frightening.
*
It really only has to rise
a few more inches
before it actually
gets into our shelter.
*
Never dreamed the tide
would ever rise this high,
but we're having
the lunar tides right now.
*
Very worst thing
that could happen right now
is to have an onshore breeze
that would be blowing
even more water up in here.
*
Hoping that this rain
will let up
and hoping that the biblical
tides will recede.
*
I just don't like the thought
of the water infiltration.
*
*
It's pretty scary.
- Yeah.
- And really, it's--
it's pretty much too late to...
move our shelter.
*
Can you tell from over there
what the water's doing?
*
- I can't tell if it's
going up or down.
*
- Yeah, it's definitely
still rising.
*
You just can't afford
to get wet out here.
You just can't afford it.
You get wet, that's it.
Your clothes
are gonna stay wet.
*
I hope we don't get
to that point.
*
Be so easy to just press
that button and go home.
*
[dramatic music]
*
*
*
- Well, it's early morning.
*
Yesterday was
a torrentially rainy day.
Today so far it's not
pouring rain,
which is a great bonus.
Trying to get out here
at low tide.
Get some gumboots.
Grab some limpets.
But, you know, always looking
for something better.
Be nice to have a couple
roasted over the fire
this morning.
Where are you, gumboots?
There's one.
Cool.
*
In the pot.
*
Okay.
Dave's first gumboot.
These are really good roasted.
They got these plates
on the back of them
and you peel off the plates
like little shells.
*
That's all good to eat
right there, babe.
- Really?
- Yeah.
*
- It's funny when they say,
"Oh, that tastes like chicken."
This does.
It tastes just like chicken.
- Yeah.
- That's a good woman
who gets you up in the morning
with some wild seafood.
- There's actually
substantial meat there.
- It's good stuff.
- Mm-hmm.
- Man, it's nice to know
you got food.
- A little something-something.
- A little
something-something.
*
*
- It is not raining on me
right now, which is awesome.
Yesterday...
was an unbelievable storm.
Brody and I both ended up
sleeping on running water.
Probably the worst night
of sleep
we both have had maybe ever.
*
- I was really hoping
on building a shelter
that allowed me
to dry things out.
But as a result
of all the flooding,
we need to find
a whole new location.
The only time of the day
that we ever felt warm was
whenever we'd be
in our shelter,
and now you can't stay dry.
*
- Well, I think this whole basin
is a drainage
from the mountains.
There is no flat ground.
*
- Coming to Vancouver Island,
I knew this place
was gonna be wet,
and it is.
*
You don't try to live
in places like this.
You don't try to hike
in places like this.
[Bleep].
And in addition
to going through
this tall underbrush
to get anywhere,
you've got to climb over
all these tall trees.
*
- So, this is this other spot
that we're looking at.
*
- I would say this is an
incredible calorie expenditure
to do everything we're talking
about doing here.
I'm not sure that we'd
get all this done.
*
The shelter locations are just
absolute [bleep] around here.
There's no good location
here that I have found.
There's just worst,
worse, bad.
Now, let's get back
to the shelter now.
*
Most of the time people get wet,
they are eventually able
to get out of it
and in a dry environment,
but to be out in this stuff
like we've been,
it's easy to see how this place
could kick a man's ass.
*
And so, I really wonder,
do I really want
to stay here longer
when I could be home
with my family?
*
All right, so, here--
here's the scoop.
I've been thinking hard.
I need to explain some things
about my situation.
Presley's birthday.
- Oh...yeah.
- What a miserable day
that was for me.
I thought about her
all day long.
I realize just going through
this deal
with my daughter's birthday
that the only reason
to stay out here long-term
is for the money, you know?
*
If I hit that button
and go home,
then my kids will know
that I chose them...
- Mm-hmm.
- Over money.
*
You and I have the greatest
treasures at home.
- Right.
- When's your daughter's
birthday?
- November 20th.
- Okay.
- So, it's coming up.
- I don't think you should miss
your daughter's birthday.
I'm telling you.
*
Maybe we should just have
a shorter run here
instead of trying
to stay long-term.
- Mm-hmm.
*
- I don't want you
to leave here with regrets,
you know,
just going along with me.
*
We've never been a family
that chose money over family.
I mean, that's never been
who we were,
and that's why all this
is so painful,
and I want to get back there
and be so much more loving
than I've ever been before
to my wife and kids.
*
And, you know, the best advice
I can give as a brother
is we need to get you home
for your daughter's birthday.
It's her first birthday.
She won't remember it,
but you will.
- Mm-hmm.
I appreciate that.
*
You know, I have to start
doing some thinking about it.
*
I realize what my brother
is going through.
I'm sympathetic
to his feelings,
but there's no doubt
that I could go longer.
*
I feel like I have unfinished
business on the table.
*
I don't want to look back
and think
that this was incomplete.
*
That would be just saying
that this is a story
that really has no ending.
*
[dramatic music]
*
*
*
- It's not a bad sitting spot,
is it?
*
- Now, when the sun's shining,
it's great.
*
Ever since I got dropped off
on that helicopter
I've been busting my butt
and tracking through
the mountains,
but my brother,
he was pretty much checked out
by the time I got here.
There comes a certain point
where we're here together
so you need to come
to an agreement.
- [grunts]
- I did want to try to push
him to stay here, you know,
but if it's really weighing
on him that heavily,
I don't feel right
dragging him through that.
*
[short tone beeps]
[long sustained tone beeps]
*
- Hey, this is Chris.
*
[man speaks indistinctly
over radio]
- We're officially tapping out.
[man speaks indistinctly
over radio]
*
[boat engine revving]
*
*
*
- All right.
*
- Hi, boys.
- Hey, guys.
*
- What's going on?
- Today's our day.
The idea of being gone
for an extended period of time
from my family was very
difficult for them to accept
and I carried that
out here with me.
- You know, you have
mixed feelings about it,
but right now I'm thinking
about getting back home,
you know,
for my daughter's birthday.
You know,
it's a big deal for me.
You know,
I'm looking forward to that.
*
The decision to leave
is extremely difficult.
*
Usually I'm
a fight personality.
I'm not a flight personality.
I'm going to stand my ground.
*
I'd love to stay longer,
but at the same time,
it's more important for me
to keep a good relationship
with my brother.
*
- I think Brody wanted
to stay,
and it just pains me
to even think about that.
I feel like the only reason
he's tapping is
because he doesn't want
to let me down.
When I came out here,
I was really ready
for the physical part of this,
but as far
as the emotional journey,
missing my daughter's birthday
totally changed my experience.
*
That's really been
the biggest surprise
for me on this journey.
Being out here
created this sense
of deep longing for my family.
I understand now better
than I ever have before
that we're meant to be
with people
that we love and people
we're attached to.
*
Even though some people
won't understand
the decision to leave...
*
I know my wife and kids
will understand.
*
*
*
*
*
- [vomits and spits]
Ugh!
Oh, I just puked.
*
Oh, [bleep].
[gags and spits]
Ugh!
Just puking my guts out here.
- Maybe I should get
a fire going
so you can come chill
by the fire for a bit.
- I can't stomach
that [bleep] seaweed.
[groans]
*
This diet is catching up
with me here.
Just a whole ton of seaweed.
*
And if I'm not able
to stomach that seaweed,
I mean, that's a staple
for us, so...
*
If we don't start
catching fish,
I don't know how long my body
can keep doing this.
*
Need to go sit around
and wallow in self-pity.
*
Ted was horribly sick
this morning.
Just not a fun time.
So, I just said,
"Why don't you try to take
it easy, man, and rest?
I'll try to get some food."
*
I think one of the most
meaningful things
that I can do right now
is to nurture Ted back
to health as best I can.
*
I believe you are
your brother's keeper.
*
We're given X amount
of survival items.
The best survival item
you have
is the other person
you're out there with.
Someone to kind of carry you
through rough times.
*
I'm gonna try to carry
the ball here.
[sighs]
It's just disappointing
and strange
that there's just never
any fish here.
*
If I don't catch a fish,
I might just,
I don't know,
stab myself in the face.
*
I got a fish, baby.
First cast.
Yes!
[laughs]
Oh, a little herring
or something.
*
Oh, no!
[Bleep]!
[dramatic music]
*
*
*
- Oh, a little herring
or something.
*
Oh, no!
[Bleep]!
Ohh!
No!
*
There's a whole school.
They're all tiny.
I wish I had a smaller hook.
*
Oh, man.
This tide's coming in quick.
*
Probably makes sense
to try some active fishing
off another point here.
*
We just need a fish real bad.
*
We both feel like we can stay
out here as long as we want
if we can find enough food.
*
Perfect.
*
Oh, man.
Sure would be pretty sweet
if this cashed in here.
*
*
Oh, my God.
I got a [bleep] fish.
Yeah, baby.
Yes.
Yeah!
*
Got a fish!
- You got a fish?
- Yeah!
- Yeah!
*
He got a fish!
*
Oh, thank God.
Keep giving her.
- I will.
[seagulls squawking]
You hear those seagulls going.
It's telling me
there's a good chance
there's a second round
of herring coming.
And so I'm gonna try
to check by the net.
*
Dude, there's a massive
school here.
There we go.
Caught one.
Yeah, baby.
*
Here's another one.
Don't mind if I get
one more of those.
*
And that's eight.
[Bleep] yeah, baby.
We're getting somewhere here.
*
Another one.
Yep, there's one again.
Yes.
There's the 16th sablefish.
I got a huge greenling.
What a day.
Whoo!
Beauty day.
*
Emotional roller coaster
around here.
*
*
*
- Wow.
Good thing my face
was out of the way
for that sucker.
- The weather has been
a son of a gun.
It's just pouring.
Brooke built a good shelter,
but we came out here
with the mindset
that we're gonna win this,
and that means
that we need something
better-suited for the weather.
The idea is we're gonna
put up a little cabin.
Somewhere in here is
kind of what we're thinking.
- This does look like the
flattest piece of real estate
I see, pretty much.
- Yeah. I think so, too.
*
Everybody's got to do what
they think is right out here.
I don't want to be in a tent.
I want to be
in something serious.
I don't want to worry about,
do I got to roll to this side
when the wind's coming
that way?
Timber!
No, I want to live
in something.
*
The mental benefit of being
inside four walls is huge,
and this is a mental game
as much
as it's a physical game.
What I was kind of thinking
about doing
is digging a trench
all the way around
and then standing
the logs up stockade
and all you'd have to do
is you'd have to lash the top
to four poles
to keep the top true.
*
*
- A cabin represents progress
and longevity
and promise of a better future
out here surviving.
*
Dave and I naturally
are inclined
to divide and conquer.
If it's a cabin
we're gonna build, well,
he'll start digging a trench
and I'll start cutting trees.
Whoever is best equipped
to do the thing
that needs to get done,
you have to do it.
- Once the trench is dug,
all you're doing at that point
is cutting seven-foot logs,
stick it in the hole,
pack it in there,
lash it off
so the whole place
is gonna get tied up together.
*
I've been building stuff
since I was 16 years old.
I've built several
little cabins.
I have a pretty good idea
about how much
it's gonna take to do this.
- This upgrade is a--
it's a calorie risk.
We're just gonna have
to take our time on it.
But it'll be a big pay-off.
We just got to watch ourselves.
Got to watch it.
*
- How you doing?
- I've never felt
so weak before.
It's like somebody
unplugged me
and forgot to recharge me.
*
Help old granny up.
Granny.
Oh, honey.
*
- Brooke is resilient.
She has no quit.
But right now she's
completely out of gas.
*
I've never,
ever seen that from her.
*
Kind of scary.
*
[dramatic music]
*
*
*
- That little bird is right up
here at the shoreline.
*
Look at him scooting all around.
No idea what it is.
Silly little thing, though.
Not even scared of us.
*
The other day,
we basically
just stayed in our tent
all day.
Unfortunately, the tides
are kind of super-high lately.
It's been really scary that it's
just gonna flood our shelter.
It hasn't yet.
We're super-happy about that.
*
- Very damp.
Very wet here.
Not the easiest place
in the world to start a fire.
*
So today we've got to visit
a couple of spruce trees
and see if we can start
getting some resin flowing.
We use the sap
as an accelerant.
That resin is quite flammable.
Use whatever you can out here.
*
- Gonna walk down our
shoreline just a little ways
and we're going to scar
some of our spruce trees.
We really don't know how quickly
they'll start secreting
any of the sap,
but really it does it
as a defensive mechanism
to heal its own wounds.
*
- So here's a big spruce tree
right here.
- That's a big old trunk.
- Sure is.
Big tree.
*
- We're just gonna give him
a little cut.
Obviously not enough
to kill it.
So, by cutting the tree
at a bit of an angle,
the sap will all collect
down on one side.
- Any white in there yet?
- Getting there, yeah.
- It'll be interesting
to see if that works.
- I have no doubt it'll work.
It's just a matter
of how long will it take.
- How long it takes.
- All right, next tree.
*
Oh, this one's got a good,
resiny spot on it.
- Holy cow.
Look at all that stuff.
- Yeah.
- It's been dripping
on the ground.
- Look at that.
That's just pure resin.
- All of that is great
for starting fires.
- Very nice.
That's some good stuff
right there.
*
*
- I'ma let you make
resin cakes tonight.
How's that?
- All right.
- [chuckles]
*
- Now we got a bowl of resin
ready to start cooking.
- Nice.
- We are good to go.
*
Oh, yeah.
That stuff's melting down nice.
Oh, man.
Look at this resin.
*
- Wow. Look at that.
Phew-whee.
You got the cedar shavings
close by?
- They're right over there.
Basically all I'm doing is,
I lay down a layer of cedar...
*
Then once the resin
is good and cooked,
I dump it onto that layer
of cedar,
try to spread it out
as thin as possible...
*
Then I put a fresh layer
of cedar on top.
*
And then it's just a matter
of letting it cool down.
*
So, here we've got
our little resin cakes.
Here you've got three
of the finished cakes
and they work really well.
- Yeah, incredibly well.
- And that's really been the key
to our fires lately.
*
- Thank God for the resin.
*
*
- So this is a big moment,
Ted.
- I can't believe
we finally caught these fish.
*
- We're just scratching
the surface here, you know?
So I feel like maybe the good
times are about to roll, dude.
- This amount of toughing
it out at the beginning
is what makes
most people leave
in three weeks
or a month, you know?
- Mm-hmm.
- Maybe it's gonna get easier,
you know, long-term.
Maybe it'll turn out that
we're actually good
at this, Jim.
Maybe we're amazing at this.
- Mm-hmm.
- Trained survival experts,
Jim.
- Exactly.
I don't think that we suck.
*
Maybe we should have some
trotlines out there, eh, Ted?
*
- I don't know, man.
I don't like the idea.
Like, I do, but if we
can catch fish like this,
I'd much prefer it like this.
- I know.
- The thing about
all this seaweed we're--
yo, look!
*
Wait, wait, wait.
- [grunts]
*
*
*
- Yo, look!
*
Wait, wait, wait.
- [grunts]
What the [bleep] just happened?
Dude, it's a teal.
*
Oh, my God.
- Yeah!
Yeah! Yes!
- Yes!
Did that really just happen?
What the [bleep]?
This is a green-winged teal.
These are really good
eating ducks.
It just walked
right into my campfire
and I grabbed
my freaking Tilley hat
and just smacked it
and killed it with my hat.
It was unbelievable.
This is a sign, Ted.
Some sort of turning point,
you know, like,
finally our luck
has changed, dude.
- Thank the duck for its life.
Thank the fish for its life.
And just thank you
for this gift.
- Yeah!
Yeah!
- Dude, Can you believe
this just happened?
- Yes!
Yes!
Oh, my God!
- I can't, like--
can you believe this, dude?
I still--I just can't
get over it.
*
- A pot of fish.
Let's try it out.
*
People are gonna be like,
"Yeah, right.
The production team came
and whipped that duck there,"
or something, you know?
*
- Oh, my God.
- What?
- It's so good.
- I bet.
It's ocean fish, dude.
- Mmm!
And when you haven't eaten,
like, it just sends this,
like, shockwave or rush through
your body of excitement.
*
- Just to think, we're gonna eat
a roast duck for breakfast.
- Yeah.
*
Jim, if we can eat like this,
we can stay
out here forever, man.
- Mm-hmm.
- Simple as that.
What an epic day, eh?
A duck just runs up
right here.
Are you kidding, man?
- [laughs]
- I'm going to set
a trotline.
Oh, [bleep]!
- Dude!
- The hook's embedded
in my finger.
- I'm worried about Brooke.
She is pushing herself
farther than she should.
Let me carry the big one.
- Why don't you
just keep doing your thing?
I'm just gonna keep going.
- Just take it easy.
- We're ready for the maiden
voyage of "Hope."
- The risk
of wetting our gear,
it could give us hypothermia,
all kinds of problems.
- Wait.
Hold on, hold on!
*
*
- Jim's here.
Yeah.
You [bleep] did it.
- Whoa. Yes.
- Wow. Look at that
six-pound whopper.
- Oh, I'm so happy
we're gonna be eating tonight.
- Whoa.
- Fish on?
- Yeah. Oh, yeah.
Whoo-hoo.
We have what it takes
to win this.
- Cheers, baby.
- Jim's crab trap is
revealing its head.
- No!
- Nothing?
That's devastating, Jim.
*
*
- This is gonna be
an incredible challenge.
- We're gonna be dropped off
in separate locations
and one of us
has to find the other.
- Where did they go?
- I gotta wait on my brother.
- Oh!
- Hopefully he'll be here soon.
- Please come tomorrow.
- I don't know where
I'm going,
how long I'm gonna
be out here.
All I have
is a compass bearing.
- It's a needle
in a haystack.
Can I even make it
to base camp?
- Dad!
- Son!
- No way.
- Everything around you is
telling you
you need to go home.
[air horn blows]
- Please leave me alone!
- If you don't work as a team
it's game over.
- I can't hold the whole--
- Just hold it still.
- $500,000 would be
live-changing.
- I know.
- I feel like the life
was sucked out of me.
- He's coming.
He sees me.
*
*
*
*
*
- Oh, my God.
I just felt, like,
just water come through.
Oh, my God, dude.
- Somehow the ground tarp
we're sleeping on
was getting some water
back on it
and it pooled back in
towards Jim
and has soaked through
his sleeping bag
and soaked his pants.
- This whole area
completely soaked through.
Dude, look.
From here to here.
- How did you let
that happen, dude?
- I didn't.
I just woke up
and it was soaked through, dude.
*
- This is a rain forest
and it's just dumping rain.
It doesn't matter how many
more layers you put on top.
You just start getting
absolutely freezing
and you're so miserable.
I mean, this is no joke.
The weather around here
will kick your ass.
- Soon as your sleeping bag
gets wet,
it really doesn't hold the heat
and you start
to freeze at night.
You know, that means
that there could be a chance
of some
really serious problems.
So, I'm gonna have to dry
my sleeping bag
and my pants out now.
*
The slightest breeze blows
through our shelter
and just rips the heat
right out of our sleeping bags
and chills us to the bone.
If this rain picks up,
it's gonna wash us
right out of here.
*
*
*
- How can one place
get so much rain?
This is just amazing.
*
Just wondering
how many inches of rain
we've gotten
since we've been here.
We're situated on an inlet
surrounded by mountains.
So there's some rain and then
these mountains funnel
these incredible gusts of wind
that come through like
some mythological beast,
and it's scary.
It is scary.
[wind howling]
*
Even in the most miserable
weather,
you have to get out,
and you have to, uh--
you gotta keep your body moving,
otherwise things
just start getting sore
and stiff and--
- When you're old.
- Yeah.
Especially when you're old.
[laughter]
Yeah, thanks, buddy.
I appreciate that.
Really, I have no business
being out here.
I'm too damn old to be
doing this [bleep],
but my son dragged me
out here with him, so...
*
Well, I don't know.
Maybe it is starting
to lighten up.
And we may get a little break
here in the afternoon.
*
It's not like you want
to do this,
but we can only fish
on the low tides,
and it's so important that
when we can fish
we give it a try.
*
Sam has told me
he doesn't think
that he could have done this
with someone else.
*
I can't even tell you
how great that makes me feel.
Okay, baby, come on.
Let's catch a fish.
*
Coming out here and doing this
with this old man,
I think it's impressed him.
*
Hey!
- Oh, nice catch, Dad.
- Yes!
- Oh, I'm so excited.
I'm so happy we got something.
- I think every dad wants
their son
to look up to him
and be proud of him.
- There it is.
What do you got there?
- This is a black rock bass.
I like to think
he's proud of me.
- This is incredible.
Oh, this is such good news.
- Better get another line
in the water.
*
Here comes the rain again.
- Yep.
- Here comes the wind.
*
[Bleep] damn.
- Holy cow.
*
There's a huge storm
rolling in.
The wind's whipping.
*
- This is insane.
*
It's like a hurricane.
*
- Holy cow.
- It sure is.
*
- Phew-wee.
*
- Oh, [bleep].
- What do you think?
- I think we should
probably head back.
I think it's the smart thing
to do.
Let's get out of here.
- Yeah.
It's hitting me
in the face right now.
*
- [grunts]
*
Wind is killing me.
*
*
*
*
- Oh, my God, dude.
*
We are in standing water now.
- Wow.
God.
- To see this river of water
running through here
blows my mind.
If you need some water,
let me know.
I'm the guy
with the source here.
- Oh!
- Man.
I decided I wanted to move
my bivvy down,
so when I got up and I look and
there's a damn river of water.
I can't believe I caught it
when I did, you know?
Look at the amount of water
coming through there.
- Wow.
That's not good.
- So, we're gonna have to go
get another tarp here
that we're using
for water catching
and set us up a good tarp floor
of the shelter.
Just have to empty it out,
which totally breaks my heart,
but you got to do
what you got to do.
*
When this place
is raining heavily
and muddy,
it's a miserable place.
That's when the mind
is gonna turn to those
other things like my family.
All I can think about
is my wife and kids.
I did not expect
that I would have
such deep longings
to be with my family.
It's really caught me
off guard.
*
My mind is saying,
"I don't want to be here.
I'd rather be at home."
*
I really wonder
if Brody feels the same way.
*
Today is a great example
of the kind of weather that,
if you get wet,
it could get you hypothermic.
This is the water
underneath my tarp right now.
We are officially on the verge
of being flooded.
If we can't stay
in a dry environment,
long-term survival here,
I just don't really
see it possible.
*
*
*
- All right, so, today
is just an absolute downpour,
and it also happens
to be high tide.
*
Here you can see the tide.
*
And that's the back wall
of our shelter right there.
It's rising incredibly quick.
*
You know, normally
the water's way out there.
Holy [bleep].
*
- Right now, it's frightening.
*
It really only has to rise
a few more inches
before it actually
gets into our shelter.
*
Never dreamed the tide
would ever rise this high,
but we're having
the lunar tides right now.
*
Very worst thing
that could happen right now
is to have an onshore breeze
that would be blowing
even more water up in here.
*
Hoping that this rain
will let up
and hoping that the biblical
tides will recede.
*
I just don't like the thought
of the water infiltration.
*
*
It's pretty scary.
- Yeah.
- And really, it's--
it's pretty much too late to...
move our shelter.
*
Can you tell from over there
what the water's doing?
*
- I can't tell if it's
going up or down.
*
- Yeah, it's definitely
still rising.
*
You just can't afford
to get wet out here.
You just can't afford it.
You get wet, that's it.
Your clothes
are gonna stay wet.
*
I hope we don't get
to that point.
*
Be so easy to just press
that button and go home.
*
[dramatic music]
*
*
*
- Well, it's early morning.
*
Yesterday was
a torrentially rainy day.
Today so far it's not
pouring rain,
which is a great bonus.
Trying to get out here
at low tide.
Get some gumboots.
Grab some limpets.
But, you know, always looking
for something better.
Be nice to have a couple
roasted over the fire
this morning.
Where are you, gumboots?
There's one.
Cool.
*
In the pot.
*
Okay.
Dave's first gumboot.
These are really good roasted.
They got these plates
on the back of them
and you peel off the plates
like little shells.
*
That's all good to eat
right there, babe.
- Really?
- Yeah.
*
- It's funny when they say,
"Oh, that tastes like chicken."
This does.
It tastes just like chicken.
- Yeah.
- That's a good woman
who gets you up in the morning
with some wild seafood.
- There's actually
substantial meat there.
- It's good stuff.
- Mm-hmm.
- Man, it's nice to know
you got food.
- A little something-something.
- A little
something-something.
*
*
- It is not raining on me
right now, which is awesome.
Yesterday...
was an unbelievable storm.
Brody and I both ended up
sleeping on running water.
Probably the worst night
of sleep
we both have had maybe ever.
*
- I was really hoping
on building a shelter
that allowed me
to dry things out.
But as a result
of all the flooding,
we need to find
a whole new location.
The only time of the day
that we ever felt warm was
whenever we'd be
in our shelter,
and now you can't stay dry.
*
- Well, I think this whole basin
is a drainage
from the mountains.
There is no flat ground.
*
- Coming to Vancouver Island,
I knew this place
was gonna be wet,
and it is.
*
You don't try to live
in places like this.
You don't try to hike
in places like this.
[Bleep].
And in addition
to going through
this tall underbrush
to get anywhere,
you've got to climb over
all these tall trees.
*
- So, this is this other spot
that we're looking at.
*
- I would say this is an
incredible calorie expenditure
to do everything we're talking
about doing here.
I'm not sure that we'd
get all this done.
*
The shelter locations are just
absolute [bleep] around here.
There's no good location
here that I have found.
There's just worst,
worse, bad.
Now, let's get back
to the shelter now.
*
Most of the time people get wet,
they are eventually able
to get out of it
and in a dry environment,
but to be out in this stuff
like we've been,
it's easy to see how this place
could kick a man's ass.
*
And so, I really wonder,
do I really want
to stay here longer
when I could be home
with my family?
*
All right, so, here--
here's the scoop.
I've been thinking hard.
I need to explain some things
about my situation.
Presley's birthday.
- Oh...yeah.
- What a miserable day
that was for me.
I thought about her
all day long.
I realize just going through
this deal
with my daughter's birthday
that the only reason
to stay out here long-term
is for the money, you know?
*
If I hit that button
and go home,
then my kids will know
that I chose them...
- Mm-hmm.
- Over money.
*
You and I have the greatest
treasures at home.
- Right.
- When's your daughter's
birthday?
- November 20th.
- Okay.
- So, it's coming up.
- I don't think you should miss
your daughter's birthday.
I'm telling you.
*
Maybe we should just have
a shorter run here
instead of trying
to stay long-term.
- Mm-hmm.
*
- I don't want you
to leave here with regrets,
you know,
just going along with me.
*
We've never been a family
that chose money over family.
I mean, that's never been
who we were,
and that's why all this
is so painful,
and I want to get back there
and be so much more loving
than I've ever been before
to my wife and kids.
*
And, you know, the best advice
I can give as a brother
is we need to get you home
for your daughter's birthday.
It's her first birthday.
She won't remember it,
but you will.
- Mm-hmm.
I appreciate that.
*
You know, I have to start
doing some thinking about it.
*
I realize what my brother
is going through.
I'm sympathetic
to his feelings,
but there's no doubt
that I could go longer.
*
I feel like I have unfinished
business on the table.
*
I don't want to look back
and think
that this was incomplete.
*
That would be just saying
that this is a story
that really has no ending.
*
[dramatic music]
*
*
*
- It's not a bad sitting spot,
is it?
*
- Now, when the sun's shining,
it's great.
*
Ever since I got dropped off
on that helicopter
I've been busting my butt
and tracking through
the mountains,
but my brother,
he was pretty much checked out
by the time I got here.
There comes a certain point
where we're here together
so you need to come
to an agreement.
- [grunts]
- I did want to try to push
him to stay here, you know,
but if it's really weighing
on him that heavily,
I don't feel right
dragging him through that.
*
[short tone beeps]
[long sustained tone beeps]
*
- Hey, this is Chris.
*
[man speaks indistinctly
over radio]
- We're officially tapping out.
[man speaks indistinctly
over radio]
*
[boat engine revving]
*
*
*
- All right.
*
- Hi, boys.
- Hey, guys.
*
- What's going on?
- Today's our day.
The idea of being gone
for an extended period of time
from my family was very
difficult for them to accept
and I carried that
out here with me.
- You know, you have
mixed feelings about it,
but right now I'm thinking
about getting back home,
you know,
for my daughter's birthday.
You know,
it's a big deal for me.
You know,
I'm looking forward to that.
*
The decision to leave
is extremely difficult.
*
Usually I'm
a fight personality.
I'm not a flight personality.
I'm going to stand my ground.
*
I'd love to stay longer,
but at the same time,
it's more important for me
to keep a good relationship
with my brother.
*
- I think Brody wanted
to stay,
and it just pains me
to even think about that.
I feel like the only reason
he's tapping is
because he doesn't want
to let me down.
When I came out here,
I was really ready
for the physical part of this,
but as far
as the emotional journey,
missing my daughter's birthday
totally changed my experience.
*
That's really been
the biggest surprise
for me on this journey.
Being out here
created this sense
of deep longing for my family.
I understand now better
than I ever have before
that we're meant to be
with people
that we love and people
we're attached to.
*
Even though some people
won't understand
the decision to leave...
*
I know my wife and kids
will understand.
*
*
*
*
*
- [vomits and spits]
Ugh!
Oh, I just puked.
*
Oh, [bleep].
[gags and spits]
Ugh!
Just puking my guts out here.
- Maybe I should get
a fire going
so you can come chill
by the fire for a bit.
- I can't stomach
that [bleep] seaweed.
[groans]
*
This diet is catching up
with me here.
Just a whole ton of seaweed.
*
And if I'm not able
to stomach that seaweed,
I mean, that's a staple
for us, so...
*
If we don't start
catching fish,
I don't know how long my body
can keep doing this.
*
Need to go sit around
and wallow in self-pity.
*
Ted was horribly sick
this morning.
Just not a fun time.
So, I just said,
"Why don't you try to take
it easy, man, and rest?
I'll try to get some food."
*
I think one of the most
meaningful things
that I can do right now
is to nurture Ted back
to health as best I can.
*
I believe you are
your brother's keeper.
*
We're given X amount
of survival items.
The best survival item
you have
is the other person
you're out there with.
Someone to kind of carry you
through rough times.
*
I'm gonna try to carry
the ball here.
[sighs]
It's just disappointing
and strange
that there's just never
any fish here.
*
If I don't catch a fish,
I might just,
I don't know,
stab myself in the face.
*
I got a fish, baby.
First cast.
Yes!
[laughs]
Oh, a little herring
or something.
*
Oh, no!
[Bleep]!
[dramatic music]
*
*
*
- Oh, a little herring
or something.
*
Oh, no!
[Bleep]!
Ohh!
No!
*
There's a whole school.
They're all tiny.
I wish I had a smaller hook.
*
Oh, man.
This tide's coming in quick.
*
Probably makes sense
to try some active fishing
off another point here.
*
We just need a fish real bad.
*
We both feel like we can stay
out here as long as we want
if we can find enough food.
*
Perfect.
*
Oh, man.
Sure would be pretty sweet
if this cashed in here.
*
*
Oh, my God.
I got a [bleep] fish.
Yeah, baby.
Yes.
Yeah!
*
Got a fish!
- You got a fish?
- Yeah!
- Yeah!
*
He got a fish!
*
Oh, thank God.
Keep giving her.
- I will.
[seagulls squawking]
You hear those seagulls going.
It's telling me
there's a good chance
there's a second round
of herring coming.
And so I'm gonna try
to check by the net.
*
Dude, there's a massive
school here.
There we go.
Caught one.
Yeah, baby.
*
Here's another one.
Don't mind if I get
one more of those.
*
And that's eight.
[Bleep] yeah, baby.
We're getting somewhere here.
*
Another one.
Yep, there's one again.
Yes.
There's the 16th sablefish.
I got a huge greenling.
What a day.
Whoo!
Beauty day.
*
Emotional roller coaster
around here.
*
*
*
- Wow.
Good thing my face
was out of the way
for that sucker.
- The weather has been
a son of a gun.
It's just pouring.
Brooke built a good shelter,
but we came out here
with the mindset
that we're gonna win this,
and that means
that we need something
better-suited for the weather.
The idea is we're gonna
put up a little cabin.
Somewhere in here is
kind of what we're thinking.
- This does look like the
flattest piece of real estate
I see, pretty much.
- Yeah. I think so, too.
*
Everybody's got to do what
they think is right out here.
I don't want to be in a tent.
I want to be
in something serious.
I don't want to worry about,
do I got to roll to this side
when the wind's coming
that way?
Timber!
No, I want to live
in something.
*
The mental benefit of being
inside four walls is huge,
and this is a mental game
as much
as it's a physical game.
What I was kind of thinking
about doing
is digging a trench
all the way around
and then standing
the logs up stockade
and all you'd have to do
is you'd have to lash the top
to four poles
to keep the top true.
*
*
- A cabin represents progress
and longevity
and promise of a better future
out here surviving.
*
Dave and I naturally
are inclined
to divide and conquer.
If it's a cabin
we're gonna build, well,
he'll start digging a trench
and I'll start cutting trees.
Whoever is best equipped
to do the thing
that needs to get done,
you have to do it.
- Once the trench is dug,
all you're doing at that point
is cutting seven-foot logs,
stick it in the hole,
pack it in there,
lash it off
so the whole place
is gonna get tied up together.
*
I've been building stuff
since I was 16 years old.
I've built several
little cabins.
I have a pretty good idea
about how much
it's gonna take to do this.
- This upgrade is a--
it's a calorie risk.
We're just gonna have
to take our time on it.
But it'll be a big pay-off.
We just got to watch ourselves.
Got to watch it.
*
- How you doing?
- I've never felt
so weak before.
It's like somebody
unplugged me
and forgot to recharge me.
*
Help old granny up.
Granny.
Oh, honey.
*
- Brooke is resilient.
She has no quit.
But right now she's
completely out of gas.
*
I've never,
ever seen that from her.
*
Kind of scary.
*
[dramatic music]
*
*
*
- That little bird is right up
here at the shoreline.
*
Look at him scooting all around.
No idea what it is.
Silly little thing, though.
Not even scared of us.
*
The other day,
we basically
just stayed in our tent
all day.
Unfortunately, the tides
are kind of super-high lately.
It's been really scary that it's
just gonna flood our shelter.
It hasn't yet.
We're super-happy about that.
*
- Very damp.
Very wet here.
Not the easiest place
in the world to start a fire.
*
So today we've got to visit
a couple of spruce trees
and see if we can start
getting some resin flowing.
We use the sap
as an accelerant.
That resin is quite flammable.
Use whatever you can out here.
*
- Gonna walk down our
shoreline just a little ways
and we're going to scar
some of our spruce trees.
We really don't know how quickly
they'll start secreting
any of the sap,
but really it does it
as a defensive mechanism
to heal its own wounds.
*
- So here's a big spruce tree
right here.
- That's a big old trunk.
- Sure is.
Big tree.
*
- We're just gonna give him
a little cut.
Obviously not enough
to kill it.
So, by cutting the tree
at a bit of an angle,
the sap will all collect
down on one side.
- Any white in there yet?
- Getting there, yeah.
- It'll be interesting
to see if that works.
- I have no doubt it'll work.
It's just a matter
of how long will it take.
- How long it takes.
- All right, next tree.
*
Oh, this one's got a good,
resiny spot on it.
- Holy cow.
Look at all that stuff.
- Yeah.
- It's been dripping
on the ground.
- Look at that.
That's just pure resin.
- All of that is great
for starting fires.
- Very nice.
That's some good stuff
right there.
*
*
- I'ma let you make
resin cakes tonight.
How's that?
- All right.
- [chuckles]
*
- Now we got a bowl of resin
ready to start cooking.
- Nice.
- We are good to go.
*
Oh, yeah.
That stuff's melting down nice.
Oh, man.
Look at this resin.
*
- Wow. Look at that.
Phew-whee.
You got the cedar shavings
close by?
- They're right over there.
Basically all I'm doing is,
I lay down a layer of cedar...
*
Then once the resin
is good and cooked,
I dump it onto that layer
of cedar,
try to spread it out
as thin as possible...
*
Then I put a fresh layer
of cedar on top.
*
And then it's just a matter
of letting it cool down.
*
So, here we've got
our little resin cakes.
Here you've got three
of the finished cakes
and they work really well.
- Yeah, incredibly well.
- And that's really been the key
to our fires lately.
*
- Thank God for the resin.
*
*
- So this is a big moment,
Ted.
- I can't believe
we finally caught these fish.
*
- We're just scratching
the surface here, you know?
So I feel like maybe the good
times are about to roll, dude.
- This amount of toughing
it out at the beginning
is what makes
most people leave
in three weeks
or a month, you know?
- Mm-hmm.
- Maybe it's gonna get easier,
you know, long-term.
Maybe it'll turn out that
we're actually good
at this, Jim.
Maybe we're amazing at this.
- Mm-hmm.
- Trained survival experts,
Jim.
- Exactly.
I don't think that we suck.
*
Maybe we should have some
trotlines out there, eh, Ted?
*
- I don't know, man.
I don't like the idea.
Like, I do, but if we
can catch fish like this,
I'd much prefer it like this.
- I know.
- The thing about
all this seaweed we're--
yo, look!
*
Wait, wait, wait.
- [grunts]
*
*
*
- Yo, look!
*
Wait, wait, wait.
- [grunts]
What the [bleep] just happened?
Dude, it's a teal.
*
Oh, my God.
- Yeah!
Yeah! Yes!
- Yes!
Did that really just happen?
What the [bleep]?
This is a green-winged teal.
These are really good
eating ducks.
It just walked
right into my campfire
and I grabbed
my freaking Tilley hat
and just smacked it
and killed it with my hat.
It was unbelievable.
This is a sign, Ted.
Some sort of turning point,
you know, like,
finally our luck
has changed, dude.
- Thank the duck for its life.
Thank the fish for its life.
And just thank you
for this gift.
- Yeah!
Yeah!
- Dude, Can you believe
this just happened?
- Yes!
Yes!
Oh, my God!
- I can't, like--
can you believe this, dude?
I still--I just can't
get over it.
*
- A pot of fish.
Let's try it out.
*
People are gonna be like,
"Yeah, right.
The production team came
and whipped that duck there,"
or something, you know?
*
- Oh, my God.
- What?
- It's so good.
- I bet.
It's ocean fish, dude.
- Mmm!
And when you haven't eaten,
like, it just sends this,
like, shockwave or rush through
your body of excitement.
*
- Just to think, we're gonna eat
a roast duck for breakfast.
- Yeah.
*
Jim, if we can eat like this,
we can stay
out here forever, man.
- Mm-hmm.
- Simple as that.
What an epic day, eh?
A duck just runs up
right here.
Are you kidding, man?
- [laughs]
- I'm going to set
a trotline.
Oh, [bleep]!
- Dude!
- The hook's embedded
in my finger.
- I'm worried about Brooke.
She is pushing herself
farther than she should.
Let me carry the big one.
- Why don't you
just keep doing your thing?
I'm just gonna keep going.
- Just take it easy.
- We're ready for the maiden
voyage of "Hope."
- The risk
of wetting our gear,
it could give us hypothermia,
all kinds of problems.
- Wait.
Hold on, hold on!
*