Naked and Afraid (2013–…): Season 15, Episode 5 - Night Stalkers - full transcript

[man] I'm pretty sure an elephant
walked through here and tripped this.

That looks so much
like elephant footprint.

Trap's sprung. Also an elephant.

Well, the bait's still
there. I'm gonna reset it.

Yeah, it did look like that
elephant was all over my grill.

[elephant trumpets]

Biggest creature out here.

Taking a piss.

He'll break everything.

Holy [bleep].

He's right there.



So, the trick is, just
wait until there's space.

Just give him lots of space.

[suspenseful music playing]

-[elephant trumpets
loudly] -all good.

Oh, my god.

[woman] it's so dry, my
lips are already chapped.

Definitely loving africa though.

Look at that.
Warthogs. So excited.

I'm ready to survive
21 days in africa.

God, it's cool. Ooh,
what's the white thing?

That's an animal.
Is that an animal?

I think that's an animal.

I'm thrilled. I'm so grateful
to be here right now.

There's no rocks. Just
a bunch of spiky things.



And a lot of poisonous things.
Animals all over the place.

It just screams africa.

[narrator] sankuyo,
botswana. A hot and dry region,

On the outskirts of
the okavango delta.

Teeming with fearless
cape buffalo, zebra,

And thousands of
herds of elephants.

[monica] there's
so many elephants.

I can definitely tell by all the
trees that have fallen down.

I'm monica. I'm from
monterrey, mexico.

And I'm a software
engineer in the silicon valley.

My name's elijah. I'm
from western north carolina.

I'm an artist and
adventure guide.

I have spent the majority
of my professional career

Working in wilderness
therapy with at-risk youth.

I'm gonna go and
climb through there.

I've guided rock climbing. I've
guided earth skills and primitive skills.

I can build a fire with
a hand drill, a bow drill.

Give me a fire contest.
I'm probably gonna win it.

I often enjoy putting myself in
situations that are challenging,

Where I have to
struggle and be creative.

[screams]

I really love highlining.

Highlining is like slacklining.

But also really high up in the
air, often on really long distances.

We have to be like
laser, razor-focused.

[monica] growing up in mexico,
I was not really into outdoors,

Until I joined the boy scouts.

We would go out on
the weekends in camps.

Uh, build our own
shelter, create fire.

I have done rock-climbing,
ice climbing, mountaineering.

In rock-climbing,

You have control over where
you are gonna put your next hand.

Or where you are
gonna put your next foot.

I like to feel that
I have control.

Also, you need a partner that
you trust a lot, in case you fall.

Everyone back home thinks
this is a crazy adventure.

But they really respect my
reasons for doing this challenge.

I got diagnosed with
asperger's around 19 years old.

Asperger's is a
high-functioning form of autism,

Where some of my
senses are affected.

My hearing and my smell.

I also struggle socially.

I have a hard time
communicating.

And I don't always show my feelings
with my facial expressions or words.

Being diagnosed changed my life.

It led people that I love
understand that I have a disability.

And we can both work together
to make our relationship work.

I've been hiding all my life.

I have asperger's. I'm
gay. I'm an immigrant.

I check all the boxes for minorities
and I'm tired of hiding who I am.

I wanna make myself so proud.

I will make it 21 days.

[narrator] as a
computer engineer,

Monica is used to complex,
analytical problem solving.

But will her asperger's help or
hinder her survival experience?

She begins with a primitive
survival rating or psr of 6.1.

I'm here because I
love a good challenge.

This is type two fun.

It might not be
fun in the moment,

But it will be fun to
talk about it afterwards.

[narrator] as a
wilderness guide,

Elijah has extensive
primitive survival experience.

But will his take-charge
personality clash with his partner?

It's a little cold
in the morning!

He begins with a psr of 7.0.

[dramatic music playing]

I'm ready to be out
here. Ready to get naked.

[monica] I don't get bothered if
another person sees me naked.

We all have a butt.

[upbeat music playing]

[elijah] [bleep] this is
about to be real real.

That's me.

Here we go.

- [elijah] hello, human.
- [monica] hey, partner. How are you doing?

I'm good.

- [elijah] another human crazy enough to do this.
- Yeah.

- [elijah] high five?
- [monica] very excited. Yeah.

- [monica laughing]
- knocks?

Yeah, let's do it.

Great. Knocks again. Snail?

[both laugh]

- What's your name?
- Monica. How about you?

- Elijah.
- [monica] nice to meet you.

- [elijah] good to meet you.
- Yeah. Where are you from?

North carolina. You?

- From mexico.
- [elijah] cool.

I'm gonna go to
mexico in December

-And go climb there, and
I'll go... -oh, my god. I climb.

[laughing] just call
me when you get there.

Awesome, dude!

Well, you seem like a really
good partner. So I'm excited.

- Same.
- Yeah.

- You have, uh, substance.
- Yeah.

- [monica laughs]
- your eyes, you know.

- We're gonna finish this together.
- Yeah, man.

[monica] let's do it.

- Should we see what surprise we have?
- [monica] let's do it.

[narrator] monica and elijah
have each brought a personal item.

A machete and a slack line.

This line I normally
use for slacklining.

But since it's made of
strong synthetic fibers,

We can use it for a
whole bunch of things.

- Absolutely. Let's make traps.
- Yeah.

[narrator] a pot has been given
to the survivalist to store water

And fend off dehydration
in the harsh conditions.

How's your fire making skills?

I'm good with wind
but how about you?

- Boss.
- Yeah?

- We're gonna fire them across.
- Oh, yeah.

- [elijah] you got the map?
- [monica] I got the map.

Lions, elephants,
hyenas, leopards, cobras!

Water, water, water, water.

[both] food source.

Whoo-hoo, yeah.

- Awesome.
- [monica] so, we gotta go north.

- Which should be that way?
- Yeah, it's that way.

[elijah] camera.

Twenty-one days of survivaling.

Let's do this.

- Stoked.
- Oh, yeah.

- [laughs]
- whoa. Okay.

[dramatic music playing]

[elijah] it's so spiky out here.

[elijah groans]

[narrator] the scrubby
grasslands of sankuyo are scattered

With sharp acacia trees

Whose thorns easily pierce skin.

- [monica] how're you doing?
- Ow!

-[monica laughs] -[elijah]
shoes are a mega priority.

A lot of attention is on making
sure my feet aren't getting stabbed.

With shoes, more attention can be
focused on looking around and observing.

[monica] kind of looks like
mexico, but we're in africa.

I was thinking that.

- It's like mega hot and mega dry.
- Yeah.

[narrator] in the dry
season, the sun is relentless

With daytime temperatures
close to 90 degrees.

At night, they can drop
as much as 40 degrees.

Without rain, water
becomes scarce,

Driving all animals to
the same water holes.

Among them, africa's
apex predator, the lion...

[lion roaring]

That can run up
to 50 miles per hour.

- And spotted hyena.
- [hyenas calling]

Natural born killers. That are known
for running down prey till exhaustion.

And eating them alive.

[elijah] there's a buffalo here.

[monica chuckling]
we are getting this.

[elijah] super lucky. I mean,
just boom, instant rawhide.

Now, we are gonna
have stout, sturdy shoes.

That's so dry. Oh,
that is so crazy.

-[hammering] -[monica] let me
know if you ever need a break.

- [elijah] do you wanna jump in?
- Let's do it.

Elijah's such an
easy personality.

How can you not like him?

- It's working.
- Yeah, man.

[elijah] monica seems
like a great human.

We've only known each
other for about an hour.

I try to suspend judgement on somebody
until I hang out with them longer.

Thank you, buffalo.
Thanks, monica.

Thanks, elijah. [chuckling]

- That was good teamwork.
- [elijah] yeah, man.

[elijah] what's your
motivation for this?

[monica] I have asperger's.
You know what that is?

[elijah] yeah. A lot of people
used to tell me I have that.

[monica laughs] no way.

- [elijah] tell me more.
- [monica] we're just

Seen like a disability
all the time. Ow.

So, like, I wanna go out there
and just encourage anybody.

[elijah] cool.

[monica] along with my
asperger's and my accent,

It's been a barrier in
communicating to people.

But elijah and I are
communicating great.

Uh, I think he would
be actually my friend.

[elijah] it sounds like you're
saying that you're doing this as a...

A way to like really represent
the capacity to overcome.

[monica] yeah.

[monica] this looks
like a dried pond.

[elijah] yeah, totally.

I think you would call
this a pan around here.

- Oh, my god, dude.
- [monica] what is it?

[elijah] that's an
elephant print.

- It's so big.
- [monica] wow! Oh, my god, yeah. They're all over.

[elijah] yeah, man.

[narrator] monica and elijah will
need to steer clear of the elephants

That frequent these
pans day and night.

The largest and most
powerful land animal.

They number up to 10 per herd.

And easily outrun humans,

Reaching speeds of
up to 25 miles per hour.

They kill 500 humans a year, usually
by trampling or crushing their victims.

[monica speaking]

[birds screeching]

[elijah] ooh, it's looking
good. [exclaims] marshy plants.

-[elijah cheers] -[monica]
well, this is pretty.

[elijah] oh, I'm so
excited! I think we cruise

And make a boma
closer to the big water.

[monica] can we take a
look at that one over there?

I was eyeballing that.

This one's nice, right,
because this is an open area

So if we have our fire there,
we don't burn things down.

- [monica] it's a half boma done.
- [elijah] there's water here.

There's some bird action
there. So, this one then?

- [monica] yeah.
- [elijah] let's do it.

[monica] home for 21 days.

[elijah] dude, this
place is sweet.

What do you think about this?

Like, this is our opening.

And we chop here...
A little. And leave that.

And we make this,
kind of like, the spot.

[monica] yeah, I agree.

[narrator] elijah and monica are
building a thorny enclosure called a boma,

With a fire inside to
deter would-be predators.

[monica] I'm getting thirsty.

- [elijah] let's both clean.
- [monica] yeah, let's both clean.

- [elijah] and then...
- [monica] you make fire and I'll chop.

[elijah] then I'll make some
fire, get some water going?

[monica] oh, yes.

[elijah] so, to make fire,

You spin the stick
against the other stick.

They make heat.

Huh. Yeah. We're getting
close to temperature.

[dramatic music playing]

[elijah blows]

-[monica] nice, -[elijah]
thanks. You wanna get water?

[monica] oh, I'm so glad
he knows how to make fire.

He's a really good partner.

This is the, uh, buffalo skin.

We have to put it in the
water so it softens a little bit.

[elijah] right now, my
partner is getting water.

I'm working on getting the
other pieces for the boma wall.

- [elijah] just like make sure that it's stable.
- [monica] yeah.

Just, it'd be a bummer to drop.

The clock is ticking.
The sun is going down.

We've got a couple hours left before
we have to have a very secure boma.

[monica] I'm feeling
so dehydrated.

I feel it in my throat.

[monica] hey, elijah. Do you
wanna drink some water with me?

[elijah] it hasn't boiled yet.

I'm so thirsty.

[suspenseful music playing]

[elijah] phew.

[elijah] oh, but I
hit our pot of water.

Well, that's a bummer.

- [monica] wait, what?
- [elijah] I spilled it.

It's all gone. Total flip.

Sorry.

That's the first thing I
wanted to do. Drink water.

But I know.

I am regretting... [sniffles]

Um, saying he
was a good partner.

[elijah] oh, but I
hit our pot of water.

Total flip.

Elijah, can you get water?

That's the first thing I
want to do. Drink water.

[sniffles]

- Elijah, get the water.
- [elijah] on it.

[monica] he has one thing in
mind and that's the only thing.

He's going now. So...

So, I go to the water.

[monica speaking]

I'm so thirsty.

Day one's almost done and we
are about to get one day at a time.

We did get today.

We built a really good boma.

[monica pants]

[elijah] we gathered up a
whole lot of hay and grasses

To sleep in. We gathered
a lot of extra firewood.

[monica] uh, let's have two
fires. One outside and one inside.

[elijah] one fire on the
outside would be like our, uh...

[monica] security fire.

[elijah] is that a hyena?

I think that's a hyena.

[monica speaking]

[bleep]

[animal sounds]

- [monica speaking]
- oh, yeah.

- [elijah whispers] oh, I think that's an elephant.
- [monica] oh, wow.

We're hearing some
animals outside.

Elephants, hyenas.

It's scary.

[monica speaking]

[elijah] yeah, you?

[monica speaking]

[elijah blowing]

[monica speaking]

- [elijah] ah, I'm so excited for daylight and warmth.
- [monica] I know.

[monica] last
night was very cold.

I could not get any sleep

From just shivering all night.

Look at my bruise here.

[elijah] whoa! That's from,
like, shaking against the ground?

- No, shaking, like, my legs, like...
- God. That's a bummer to hear.

The grass seems to keep heat
away better than it does keep heat in.

I think later today, I
might make a pod shelter

- Out of, like, a wattle and daub type thing.
- Oh.

[elijah] but my first
thing is gonna be shoes.

So, right now we're making shoes out of
buffalo hide that we harvested yesterday.

[monica] the terrain
out here is really rough.

[elijah] my feet. They definitely
have a lot of little bits in them.

[monica] we will need shoes to
work better and be more efficient.

You know. Less pain, more work.

[elijah] I got flippy-floppies!

[monica] those look pretty nice.

- [elijah] some point today, let's set traps.
- [monica] yeah.

[monica speaking]

Yeah, we're getting food today.

[suspenseful music playing]

Oh, there we go.
Look at this. Yeah.

Knowing another
animal's eating patterns,

You can use to
place your traps right.

I'm gonna set
mine up over there.

This is a sand
bushman style trap.

So, we set out spring pull.

This is the engine for our trap.

A trap has three parts.

The engine, the
action, and the trigger.

[narrator] a spring pull
trap is a simple snare

That uses the force
from a bent stick

To catch small to
medium-sized animals.

[monica] okay, so it looks like this is
an area where a lot of birds come here.

So let's set our trap here,

Where I know I'm
gonna catch something.

Yeah, so we need
to... Measure our string.

We need to cut our string.

This is a slack line, baby.

And what we have
to do is take it apart.

This is way too
thick for my trap, so,

Um, gonna get
two traps out of this.

Look at that. Isn't that pretty?

[elijah] now comes
the tricky part.

It's like the human
spider string.

It's made up of
webbed synthetic fibers,

But it tangles really
easily if you're not careful.

These pieces of grass

Hold the string up.

When the bird comes
and puts its neck in there,

It will get its neck
caught in the noose.

[monica] this is, um, the
amazing cord that elijah brought.

Like, I've wasted more time

Trying to get the cordage
right than setting the trap.

Dang it.

I'm just gonna go get more.

Can I get a little
bit more rope?

[elijah] sure, you
already used it all?

[monica] yeah.

So you cut it

The way that you cut it

Earlier?

[elijah] I would feel
reluctant to give you more.

I think the appropriate
way to utilize that

Would be to take it apart.

And then, cordage

The individual

Pieces.

I mean, I just wanna
set traps that's like,

I mean, if I told you that with the
knife, would you be happy about it? No.

Of course not, we're a team.

Well, you wouldn't tell
me that with the knife.

Right.

'cause I'm not an [bleep].

- Because [bleep]... Whoa.
- [crowd laughs]

Wait, what did you hear me say?

Exactly what you said.

Yesterday, monica
spoke to me about

Her method of
communication is not

Generally, as typical

As a lot of people's in society.

And I'm really committed
to supporting her.

[monica] if you're gonna, like,

Start, like, it's
my... It's my rope...

- [elijah] no, no, no.
- [monica] it's my knife then.

- [monica] how about that?
- [elijah] yeah, yeah, yeah.

Heard, I'm not
trying to say that.

What I'm trying to say is, I think
we should make cordage out of it.

When do you wanna do cordage?

- How about right now?
- Okay.

Cool.

[elijah] I spent two years
working wilderness therapy,

And learned,
whenever there's conflict,

If I come with an open heart

And a curious mind
and ask someone about...

What they're going through, usually
everything settles down pretty quickly.

People wanna be heard.

[elijah] how you feeling?

[monica] stressed.

[elijah] yeah.

Just, like...

Let's share, you know.

That's it.

[elijah] yeah, let's share.

Would it make you feel good

If we cut this thing in half?

You get half, I get half.

Yeah, sounds good.

- Yeah?
- Mmm-hmm.

I'm glad we talked it out.

[monica] he's really good
at talking things, which,

I'm not great at.

He knows how to
communicate with...

Us, non-neurotypical.

- [elijah] we get so much string out of it this way.
- [monica] mmm-hmm.

And I like that about him.

[elijah] this is the
other half of the stuff...

- [monica] mmm-hmm.
- [elijah] ...From this morning?

- [elijah] don't get it on the ground.
- [monica] okay.

[elijah] 'cause
you don't want any

Birds in there.

[monica] he can be a bit
condescending in how he talks to me,

But maybe that's something
we can figure out together.

That's what we're
doing here, adapting

To the environment,
to the person.

You can totally make a
teeny-weeny little snare out of that.

[elijah] monica and I

Make a whole lot of

Pieces of cordage.

So now we're gonna
set 10 of the same trap.

We are catching termites...

And putting them in a
little ball of clay as bait.

If monica's setting traps and I'm setting
traps and everybody's setting traps,

And then tomorrow, we
set up more traps together,

The more traps we have, the
more chances we have of food.

[monica] ooh, nice.

- [elijah] awesome!
- [monica] we did it.

Nice job.

[elijah] to increase our
chances of catching something,

We're setting many of the traps

Over a quarter
mile from our boma.

We don't want our human scent
to scare away potential prey.

As we go along, I
think we'll learn a lot

About what works
and what doesn't work.

Now that our shoes are
done and our traps are set,

We need to deal with the cold.

It was freezing last night.

I just kept thinking about
how much heat I was losing

From the fire, just, all
that heat just going right up.

I was like, we
gotta remedy that.

This is gonna be

A pretty warm structure.

There's gonna be a
cob rocket stove here.

There's gonna be a sleeping quarter
here and a sleeping quarter there.

It's gonna be an arched hut.

Over-unders, over-unders and

Eventually it has a
decent amount of integrity.

Enough to, uh,
apply grass and mud.

This is a waddle and
dog technique where

Branches and sticks
create the structure.

And then we cover it with
mud and grass for insulation.

It also holds it all together.

[monica] looks
like it's working...

'cause I'm already hot in here.

[both chuckle]

[elijah] it's gonna have a little
rocket stove inside of it made of cob.

[narrator] cob is an
ancient building method

That combines clay,
sand, straw and water

To create a fireproof mixture
that can be formed into structures.

[elijah] using elephant dung,
makes some of the best cob ever.

We'll form that cob

Into a super, sweet,
high-efficiency oven.

We take a little bit
of this, just pure mud

And slip it over the top.

The coals are
gonna go right here.

And we just have

Clay and the ground
radiating heat to us.

And the roof, radiating
heat back to us.

Two engineers in africa.

Yeah. Yeah, you're
a software engineer.

- Yeah.
- That's so cool.

Now that monica and I have spent
more time together out in the bush,

We're starting to coordinate
more and it's good.

[monica whispering] eli.

It's an elephant?

[elijah] that's the first
elephant I've ever...

[monica] so close.

[elijah] wow.

[monica] there's two!

[elijah] oh, my god!

That's so beautiful.

Isn't it? Yeah.

[elijah] it's day four. It's
been three and a half days

Since I've eaten.

We've set up more than a dozen
traps scattered all over the area.

And I check them twice a day.

The bait's gone on this trap.

I am super hopeful that we
can get some food in our traps.

Wow!

Oh! Oh, my god!

That is awesome.

This is really africa.

That's an elephant skull.

Chuck that at a bird.

Flock of birds.

Definitely taking this back.

Hard to tell what happened here.

I'm guessing, died of
natural causes. And then,

Other animals came and just...

Had a feast.

[monica] I've never fasted
before so this is the longest I've

Been without eating...

And I feel like I
have no energy.

[monica] elijah has a
lot of energy still, so

That's good, that's good.

[elijah] I hope those
birds really love this one.

Monica would be super
stoked to have food.

So would I.

Checking the last
two traps for the day

I probably walked four
miles already, today.

And we got a
yellow-billed hornbill.

Oh, hey baby. I'm so sorry.

[sighs]

Thank you so much.
Thank you for your life.

It's intense.

Monica's gonna be so stoked.

Check it out!

- Check it out!
- [monica laughing] nice.

- Dinner.
- [laughing] dude!

- Yes.
- Yeah, man.

[monica] oh, my
god, I'm so... Wow!

It's just awesome.

[elijah] let's eat
dinner out here.

[monica] and every win we have,

It definitely makes
us closer as a team.

- [monica] whoo-hoo!
- [elijah] let's get this thing going!

[elijah] let's do it.

[monica] we just
caught our first meal.

Yellow-billed hornbill.

[laughing] yeah.

[hyena howling]

[elijah] what the
[bleep] was that?

[animals growling]

[hyena barking]

[animals growling]

[monica] it's right here.

[elijah] can you see what it is?

[monica] mmm-mmm.

[hyena whines]

[elijah] what the [bleep]?

[hyenas barking]

[monica] oh, my god!

[elijah] what the [bleep]?

It's, uh, hyenas.

[elijah] I trapped a bird and...

Something else came along
and it wants to eat my resource.

Get! Get!

[monica] did that work?

[elijah] yeah, I think
so. They're leaving.

That was intense.

Really puts things
into perspective.

Out here,

Moni and I are definitely
competing for resources.

So hungry

And excited for this.

[elijah] it's been four
days without food.

Protein, about to get it.

Mmm.

- [monica] how is it?
- [elijah] mmm.

- [monica] so good?
- [elijah] oh, my god!

[monica] this is so good.

[elijah] mmm-hmm.

[monica] this
tastes like chicken.

[elijah] that's
friggin' awesome.

[monica laughing]

This is our first
night in our little hut.

There's elijah.

[elijah speaks]

[elijah] right now, the
chimney's pumping out heat but,

Still not super warm in here.

[monica speaking]

[elijah] I think I'm
gonna sleep out here.

[monica] hmm.

[elijah] good morning.

- [monica] how'd you sleep?
- [elijah] um,

I got a little cold last night.

And it didn't seem like the stove
was working super well, so...

I think that's 'cause it's
also pretty moist in there.

[monica] mmm-hmm.

- [elijah] we'll just give it a couple of days to dry.
- Okay.

Maybe tweak a couple things.

[monica] and finish this hut?

[elijah] mmm-hmm.

Hoping to make 10
pieces of cordage here

To set a little snare.

Anything else we
should do today?

[monica] yeah. Check
traps, set new traps.

[elijah] mmm.

Survive and thrive.

Let's take on day five.

[monica laughing] yeah.

[elijah] I love a good rhyme.

Are we doing the traps
or checking my traps first?

- [elijah] let's check yours.
- [monica] okay.

Takes me a while to
figure out where I am.

[elijah] okay.

[monica] I'm still trying
to find it. It's around here.

[monica sighing]

No, that's not it.

Where the hell was it?

[sighs] I always do this.

I lose my trap.

There was, like, a
termite mound next to it.

[narrator] like many
people with autism,

Monica has spatial
navigation impairments

That make it hard for her
to use landmarks to navigate.

[elijah] a good way is to try to remember
the trees near it, what they looked like.

[monica exhales]
no, that's not the one.

[elijah] not the one!

[monica] [bleep] damn it.

This is exhausting.

I cannot find this trap.

[elijah speaks]

[monica] I know,
I always get lost.

- [elijah] we keep the sun on our right.
- [monica] yeah.

-[elijah] when we get back we put
it on our left -[monica] mmm-hmm.

[elijah] spring here hole.

Yeah, I'm gonna set a a trap
here. You got time for that?

[monica] I just wanna
get back to the boma.

- [elijah] are you leaving?
- Yeah.

Is the boma this
side, this direction?

[elijah] I told you
how to get back.

You can't think
of it as a direction.

You have to think of it as the
way you are, relative to the sun.

Otherwise, it's
really easy to get lost.

[monica] you didn't answer
my question. Is it that way?

[elijah] I already told you.

[monica sighs]

Dude, you're an
ass[bleep] sometimes.

Are you mad at me?

[monica] you're an
ass[bleep] sometimes.

[elijah] what was
that being rude about?

Sorry.

Oh, it never feels good
to be called an ass[bleep].

I'm not really sure what I did.

[monica speaking]

[elijah] why are you mad at me?

[monica] 'cause I just
asked a simple question.

- [elijah] how to get back?
- [monica] yeah.

[elijah] I just really wanted
to like make sure that

You found your way
back in the right way.

[monica] but you can tell
me. It takes three seconds.

[elijah] keep the
sun on the left.

[monica] yeah.

It's easy to, kinda,
get a little confused.

[monica] okay.

I mean, it's over, like...

- [elijah] okay.
- [monica] yeah.

- [elijah] we're cool?
- [monica] yeah.

- [elijah] I'm so sorry.
- [monica] it's good.

Being out here,
in this environment

This is very similar to
working wilderness therapy

With our rescues.

I'm trying to pass on to monica
the same tools to grow and succeed.

But monica seems upset with me.

We're gonna have to figure out

What's the best way for
me to communicate with her.

[elijah] what's up, what's up?

[monica] what up?

- [elijah] weaving?
- Yeah.

Oh, look at that. You got
grass all pushed up in there.

[monica] yeah,
I'm still fixing it.

- Are you weaving it through?
- Yeah.

Dude, I love that.

[monica] I've been
working for hours and hours.

I'm like, so thirsty.

[elijah] what you wanna do?

[monica] go get water.

[elijah] cool.

[monica] how we usually
divide the work is even.

Elijah has the energy to go and
check the traps four times a day.

I don't. But what I can do is

Finish our hut and
get more water.

Be right back.

[monica] I feel like I have
no energy for anything.

Like, my body wants to go
but my head's just like "ugh".

But I like to be a team.

I'm just doing as best as I
can to keep surviving out here.

A bird right here on the ground.

Oh! [laughing]

Ahhh! I don't know what to do.

[bleep] I'm so sorry, buddy.

[inhales] I'm so sorry.

Dude!

Oh, [bleep]!

[sobbing]

Thank you.

It's emotional because

Looking at that bird in
the eyes and seeing it dead

Just broke my heart.

And to take
something else's life,

It's just hard. But

That's how we survive out here.

Am I going the wrong direction?

Huh.

I don't wanna get lost out here.

Wait, where the hell's my boma?

Wait, where the hell's my boma?

Am I going the wrong direction?

Huh.

Happy that I found it.

Lesson learned, next time.

My plan to not get lost,

I'm gonna leave arrows
around the ground

To make sure I get back home

To the boma.

I just can't find my way
around any other way.

Look.

I just threw the pot.

- You just threw the pot at it and got it?
- Yeah.

[sniffles]

You just straight up just threw
the pot and just hit a dove?

- Yeah. [chuckles]
- dude!

Oh, my god. I wanna hug you, but
you're naked and that's probably awkward.

- Ah!
- [whimpering] I feel so bad.

No. Feel so good.

[sighing]

- [elijah] thank it. Honor it.
- I did.

[elijah] you did?

- Yeah [sobbing].
- [elijah] thank you, dove.

Thank you so much.

- Can I put my hand on you?
- Yeah.

[elijah] it's good. It's okay.

It's good that you
can feel like that.

Yeah.

I think that's what makes it, like, okay,
to be able to kill something is to eat it.

Is to have that
respect for their life.

It's intense, having
to kill things to eat it.

But, to know that my partner has that kind
of respect for life, feels really good.

It warms the heart.

You're great. You
can hunt with anything.

-Wait, I... -you're like
the macgyver of hunting.

- [monica laughing]
- [elijah chucking]

- [elijah] oh, I'm so stoked.
- [monica] oh, yeah.

[elijah] got a grass
bed. Got a ba partner.

This is so good.

[monica speaking]

[elijah] that was
not my stomach.

[suspenseful music playing]

[monica speaks]

Sounds like a lion.

[elijah speaks]

[monica] and we have kind of two
fires in our boma. So I think we're good.

[elijah] we totally have
two fires right now.

[both laughing]

[monica] there was
some, like, lions so close.

- [elijah] yeah, there were some lions.
- Hmm.

And some friends.

Hmm.

[elijah] definitely feeling the
intensity of being out here.

That's the lion footprint.

My energy levels
are fluctuating rapidly.

Sometimes I'm mega down,
sometimes I'm still kinda up.

And I'm burning tons of energy,
walking miles to check our traps.

It would be so nice to get a
really big feast, and just be stuffed.

It's a high guinea fowl area.

Those are the big birds.
Sure hope we catch one.

[narrator] a guinea fowl is a
ground dwelling and nesting bird

That lives in flocks,
and resembles a turkey.

These birds weigh up to four pounds,
and eat mostly seeds and insects.

Oh, look at this.

Two eggs. This is gonna be a spot where
guineas are definitely gonna come around.

I'm gonna leave the eggs
for now, and set a trap

And then hopefully I'll have a guinea
and I'll be able to have the eggs as well.

Got some clay to, like,
put the bait in, I've got these

Sprouted acacia seeds, which they
love to eat out of the elephant dung.

I'm feeling super
excited about this trap.

I really hope it goes...

It'd be super nice to
get some really big game.

Moni's been
pretty hesitant to...

Come check traps out here.

I think, partly, she's nervous
about her ability to navigate.

So she's staying pretty
close to the boma.

That way she doesn't
have to walk too far.

She's doing what she thinks is
best for her, and I support that.

She said she was gonna
go make a bow later.

[monica] like, I know, my
sense of direction is really bad.

I get lost trying to find
my car in the parking lot.

All the cars look
kinda the same.

Well, it's the same out here.

The only difference for me...

I don't wanna get lost out here. I
don't wanna be... You know, meat.

I'm hoping that that bow and
arrow makes us catch more birds

Without having to
go far from the boma.

The pot works
sometimes, but not always.

[elijah] wrong but nothing.

Whatever.

I've been thinking, my
strategy of walking around so far

To check these traps twice a
day isn't really worth the effort.

Every time I check these
traps, it's a mile round trip.

I got two birds a
day. Two tiny ones.

I don't know if that'll be able to
sustain me for the next 11 days.

[narrator] for the
past nine days,

Monica and elijah have
consumed less than 350 calories

But expended almost 25,000.

You know what, screw it.

Just taking this down.

I've reached the point
of diminishing return.

Almost rather not check traps if
there won't be anything in them.

Getting rid of this one too.

So I figure I'll
conserve my fat,

And not do such long walks,

And set so many traps.

[monica] today is day 10,

Halfway there.

We're conserving
a little bit of energy.

- Does my face look skinnier?
- Yeah.

We haven't eaten
in the past three days.

Elijah goes and
checks the traps,

And I appreciate it
so much. So much.

I love his energy,

But I can't do that.

I need to stop comparing
myself to other people, you know.

Just having a
disability is hard.

I'm not gonna feel bad about it.

[elijah] hey, hey!

Look at that. There's breakfast!

Oh, thank god. Oh, that's
so... A mood changer.

Yes.

Big, fat starling.

Yes!

Sweet!

Moni's gonna be so stoked.

Two elephants.

Right there.

So peaceful.

There's some
pheasant looking birds.

Let's see if we get one.

Moni did it with a pot. Maybe I
can do it with... Elephant dung.

Ah.

[elijah calls bird]

[dramatic music playing]

We now have two
birds for breakfast.

It's kind of cool. Go out in the
morning, go get breakfast, come back.

Feels good, feels really good.

Found this in one of the traps.

- [monica] wow.
- [elijah] I know, right?

- Fatty.
- [laughs]

[elijah] and I threw two pieces
of elephant dung and caught this.

That's awesome, dude.

[elijah] so we got a breakfast.

[monica] nice.

- [elijah] it's intense out here.
- [monica] it really is.

[elijah] I don't know.
It's making us stronger.

Okay. All right.

[monica] I'm enjoying
this. It's, like, so good.

Elijah strongheart here.

It's cold at night.

Got a big... Grass blanket,

Got a fire going.

[monica groans]

[monica speaking]

[elijah yelps]

[intense music playing]

[monica] elijah, wake up,
fire. Dude, you're on fire.

[elijah yelps]

[elijah] it's out.

Ah, that was a close call.

[monica speaks]

[elijah speaks]

[monica] elijah's bed
got caught on fire.

I'm pretty much sleeping
one eye open and one closed.

[intense music playing]

[elijah] my grass bundle caught
on fire in the middle of the night.

So I am modifying...
This rocket stove.

Hot air's not wanting to
rise through it and get it hot.

Go.

So... I'm just gonna

Elevate it so it's a
little bit of an angle,

And see how that goes.

I was a little bummed before, I was,
like, "man, all that work for nothing."

Then I was, like...

Did the math, like,

Little bit more work
to just really make sure

It's warm... I
think it's worth it.

If I can get this
working properly,

It will be much more efficient and
safer than sleeping next to an open flame.

Tossing some coals in now...

Look at that.

As soon as all the walls are insulated,
that hut should be really swell.

Oh, my god. Elijah, look at...

What the...

[monica whispering]
elephants are right there.

[elijah whispering]
that's like 30 feet.

[elijah] holy crap!

Elephants aren't
a joke out here.

They're huge and very dangerous.

And stay chill and quiet.

No sudden moves.

[trumpeting]

[monica speaking]

[elijah] that is
a gnarly animal.

They're so quiet,
too. Sneak up on you.

[monica] yeah. Thank
god, we're in the boma.

[elijah] it's kind of intense.

-[monica] oh, man that
was... -[elijah] are you scared?

That was so close.

Oh, my god. [laughing]

That was so freakin' scary.

[monica speaking]

[elijah] how much water
did you drink today?

Like, half a pot, maybe.

[elijah] do you think
that's enough for one day?

- Maybe not.
- [elijah] probably not.

[monica] elijah

Crosses that thin
line of giving...

Unsolicited advice

To being micro-controlling.

[elijah] if you don't
drink the water...

You rapidly lose vitality.

I've been kinda like
getting those feelings inside.

Not telling him so... There's no
conflict or, like, tension between us.

But I feel I'm going to have to
say something if it happens again.

- [elijah] got to drink it.
- Yeah.

[elephant trumpeting]

[elijah] just heard one
of the loudest trumpets

From an elephant I've
ever heard out here.

That was intense.

[intense music playing]

Eight days left.

Headed to go check
my guinea trap.

Wish me luck.

Oh, man!

Trap sprung.

No guinea.

I'm pretty sure an elephant
walked in here and tripped this.

That looks so
much like elephant...

Well, the bait's still
there. I'm gonna reset it.

Oh, that's so disappointing.

Reset. Go check the other trap.

Also an elephant.

An elephant was
all over my girl.

I think the elephant was
completely following...

The path I made.

Biggest creature out here.

They get pissed...

Break everything.

Holy [bleep].

And it's right there.

If the elephant

Thinks I'm sneaking behind it...

It'll turn and charge.

So the trick is

Just wait until they're spaced.

Just give them lots of space.

[dramatic music playing]

Oh, dude.

[intense music playing]

Oh, my god.

[trumpeting]

[trumpeting]

He's right there.

If the elephant thinks
I'm sneaking behind it,

It'll turn and charge.

Oh, dude.

[trumpeting]

Oh, my god.

[trumpeting]

A lot of male
elephants around here.

Walking all around my
traps. Near the boma.

Dude.

I almost got charged
by an elephant.

[monica] elephants
are freakin' scary.

That was intense.

- Really important to get that safety fire lit tonight.
- Oh, yeah.

You do it.

You're putting the
big logs on first.

Uh, we can't do that yet.

Didn't you want to
start a fire again?

- Yeah, but we...
- Oh, we wanna...

Can I teach you
how to make a fire?

Ugh. Yeah.

[elijah] monica knows how to
keep the flames going on the fire,

But doesn't really know how
to get it started from coals.

I'm trying to teach her, because
I think she needs to learn.

[elijah] do you wanna start?
That way you can learn.

[monica speaking]

You do first.

[blowing air]

[elijah] no, that's too soon.

It has to be smaller.

It's like, you wouldn't
feed a baby a steak, right?

[monica] it seems like more than

Him trying to help
me understand,

He's trying to put me down
and, like, teaching me a lesson.

[monica] you don't
have to make fun.

I'm not making fun at all.

Nobody wants to feel dumb
when you don't know something.

You make me feel like [bleep].

Like real [bleep], okay?

- I wasn't making fun.
- You don't even know, like...

[elijah] I was not at
all making fun, monica.

I care about you and I just
thought you would like that.

Nobody on earth would want
you to correct them. You know?

- What do you mean?
- You know?

I don't know.

Help them. Don't correct them.

You're so critical. That's it.

And I don't wanna hear it, that everyone's
being critical all my life, like, I'm done.

And release, I want right
now, from you for my team.

[elijah] hearing monica
say that I'm criticizing her

And that it doesn't feel
good for her is troubling.

My intentions have
been to be helpful.

But maybe I need to
approach monica differently

From the way I approach
the kids in wilderness therapy.

So I'm thinking I'm gonna back off
and only offer help if it's asked for.

Hope I can express things in a
way that it doesn't sound like criticism.

[monica] and you can.
Like, I have no doubt.

[intense music playing]

[monica speaking]

- [elijah speaks]
- [monica speaks]

[elijah speaks]

[monica speaking]

[elijah speaking]

[trumpeting]

- I'm gonna lift this one.
- [monica] mmm-hmm.

- Would you push that one forward.
- Oh, yeah. Mmm-hmm.

- Monica and I had a long discussion... Yesterday.
- [chuckles] yeah.

- Monica doesn't want, like, unsolicited feedback.
- [monica laughs]

But if this hadn't come up, I
don't think I would have known that

The way I was trying to help
was not being helpful for her.

- Can I show?
- Yeah.

If you take this one,
and lean it on this one.

Mmm-hmm. I'm so hot. Like, I...

Oh, you're good. 'cause
this blocks the heat.

Mmm-hmm.

I really want
unsolicited feedback.

And that's just two different ways of
being and they're both perfectly great.

I feel like a lot
closer after that.

Yeah. I think
we're good friends.

[dramatic music playing]

I got my last little bit of energy left
and I'm gonna make this steenbok trap.

[narrator] a steenbok is a small
antelope weighing up to 31 pounds

And known for leaping away
from predators in a zig-zag run.

These solitary animals are
active during the day and night.

[elijah] they're gonna
come through at night

And get funneled into a spot
where they can step and...

Trigger a snare that...

Snags 'em up.

Trick for this is

Don't waste energy
trying to dig super fast.

Slow and steady.

The tortoise wins
the race on this.

[exhales]

I have got this hole dug.

Here is my spring-pole.

Mmm. Snare loop.

Trigger stick. Yep.

[narrator] two sticks planted horizontally
in the hole support the trigger stick.

The cordage is then
attached to the trigger stick.

And more sticks are placed
in a circle to support the noose.

So what's gonna happen here is

I've got these sticks
holding up the noose.

And some sticks
against that trigger.

An animal's gonna come walking
along. Step through this hole.

They'll fall down and at the
same time this will spring up

And snare 'em, ideally
pretty far up there.

I'll put a little grass around this and
some sticks that go against that trigger.

Come back in the morning...
Should have some food.

I'm really skinny right now.

I don't think I've ever
been this skinny before.

I don't have the
energy to do a lot.

But staying in the boma
all day is one of the most

Challenging things I've
ever done in my entire life.

I'm pure peace and chillness.

[animal growling]

[hyena laughing]

Did you hear that?

[monica speaks]

I don't know what that is.

[animals growling]

I'm guessing that's an elephant.

[elephant trumpeting]

They're back?

It's loud and pretty close.

[dramatic music playing]

[monica] it's scary.
It's really scary out here.

Well, it's just...
Elijah and I

And that's it. And a
machete, and honestly...

Machete will do no
harm to an elephant.

[dramatic music playing]

Oh, my god.

- [elephant trumpets]
- whoa.

[trumpets continue]

No sleeping for me tonight.

[elijah] I'm going for it.

I've been thinking about this
the whole time in my back pocket.

I'm starving. Never
been this hungry.

All that walking and setting
traps really burned me out.

Desperate times calls
for desperate measures.

I'm cutting this.

Buffalo hide that we found
on day one of insertion.

Hopefully it tastes
really good too.

[monica] are you sure it's safe?

It's super safe. I mean,
seriously people eat

Boot leather. It's,
like, a survival thing.

We're almost to
the end. Don't ruin it.

No way.

Cracklings going in the pot.

Pig cracklings is
just fried pig skins.

It's a big thing down south.

[monica] the smell
of the rawhide stinks.

It's like picking your finger in
your belly button and smelling it.

Deep.

[elijah] I'm going for it.

Beef.

Chicharron african style.

Not the best. But, uh...

It's protein.

There we go.

They're pretty gross. I'm
not gonna eat any more.

[suspenseful music playing]

[monica] I just heard a lion.

Get a kill around the pond.

[whispering] that's so scary.

[lion growling]

Because of my asperger's,

The way I hear sounds...

Is more intensified than any
neurotypical would hear it.

[hyena laughing]

I use noise-cancelling
headphones at home when

Some noises overwhelm me.

And here I don't
have those tools.

And you just gotta
cope with it on your own.

[suspenseful music playing]

[birds chirping]

[growling]

I'm anxious, especially at night.
The noises, it all freaks me out.

It's like...

[sniffles] really bad
anxiety out here.

[sighing wistfully]

You know, I curl up in a ball in
the boma most of the day 'cause

I'm anxious of the
environment and

Not eating makes me anxious.

[narrator] prolonged lack of protein
can cause anxiety and depression,

As proteins are made up of amino
acids that serve as mood regulators.

I think she's having a lot of
trouble, uh, just getting water...

And doing small bits
of walking around.

I'm a little concerned for her.

[monica] I get overwhelmed.

But and when I push
myself through...

This challenge is not just
surviving out here, it's also...

I'm trying to make
myself stronger.

[elijah] I feel tired.

I've been fasting
for a long time.

Never been fasting
this long before.

It's been eight days since
I've had any real food.

Checking my steenbok trap.

Nothing. But...

We've got a lion print.

Looks like a lion's also
hunting where I'm hunting.

I really can't stop
thinking about food.

It's super annoying me.

Please... Let there
be big food here.

Oh, look at that.

We got some lunch.

Breakfast. Another starling.

Son of a bitch!

[dramatic music playing]

[dramatic music playing]

Oh, look at that.

We got some lunch.

Son of a bitch!

Unfortunately,
everything got eaten.

Yeah, uh, there's our
little kitty footprints.

Uh...

That's such a bummer.

I really wanted to get
some meat for monica.

[suspenseful music playing]

Hey.

Is that a bird in my trap?

Oh, yeah.

That's a bird.

It's a yellow millet hornbill.

Oh, that's gonna be so good.

Moni's gonna be so stoked.

Awesome.

Thank you spirits of the land.

Nice.

[adventurous music playing]

Monica.

- You want have half of a yellow-billed hornbill?
- Yeah.

- I'm hungry.
- All right. I'm gonna cook it up.

[monica] I wanna be
really clear in something.

People with asperger's, people with autism
don't really express emotions that much.

That doesn't mean
I'm not excited.

Super stoked, but it's hard
to express our emotions

Physically and verbally.

But I'm definitely super
stoked to be out here

And to have elijah
as my partner.

No matter our differences, we've
got our backs in order to survive.

[elijah] I love cooking.
Trick is not to rush it.

[monica] I hope the protein helps with
the anxiety I've been feeling at night.

- [elijah] you wanna eat?
- Yeah.

Oh, you got the heart.

- Do you want it?
- No, go for it.

Oh, my god.

Oh, it's so nice to
have food finally.

We finally got some
food. Some chicken.

Best for last.

Got the skull here.

Two eyeballs and a brain.

Brain has lots and lots of fat.

The eyeballs are salty.

[crunching] mmm, so creamy.

I feel so much better.

Crunch your bones!

♪ Chewing up
every last little bit ♪

♪ all the way to the isles ♪

♪ bird brains and
salty eyeballs ♪

No.

It's a song. It's
music. It's fun.

It's called singing. I haven't
heard you sing once yet.

- Hmm.
- Come on, let me hear you sing a song.

Please!

Please sing me a song!

- Moni!
- [monica laughs]

♪ bird brains and
salty eyeballs ♪

[dramatic music playing]

[birds chirping]

The stove and the hut aren't
really working well together.

Cabagan was almost too hot.

And then the walls
could use some insulation.

I'm feeling like it's
more important for me

To conserve my
energy than work on this,

But I think I got enough energy
in me to check on our traps.

Yeah?

[elijah] that bird
opened up my appetite.

And I'm exhausted today
and hungrier than yesterday.

You wanna come?

- Uh, you can go.
- Okay. Cool.

I definitely need more food.

Hopefully we can catch
something big before extraction.

Ooh, that is fresh.

Think we got a buffalo here.

Dangerous.

You can see animal
activity all over

From their tracks on the ground.

Oh, they spotted me.

Friggin' proper
wild place in here.

We have to
continue to stay alert.

And the more energy we
have, the easier it will be.

[monica speaking]

[monica] we've had a little protein
but we could use something else.

So, I'm gonna
feed us with plants.

Checking my steenbok trap.

Oh, trap got sprung.

Nothing in it.

I'm seeing some steenbok tracks,

So like, it might
have caught one

And gotten free.

[monica] oh, look at that.

This is jasmine.

It's probably the only
plant out here that has

Significant calories.

[narrator] sweet star jasmine
is an edible creeping herb

With fruits and leaves
that can be eaten raw

Or cooked as a vegetable.

This is a fruit. I just
gotta crack it open.

So these one have, like,
a bunch of sugar on it.

And that's what
we need right now.

So... Excited.

Elijah's pretty
tired right now, so...

Wanted to bring something
so we can both feel better.

[elijah] I'm tired.

Very tired. I'm feeling...
Deep, deep tiredness.

I'm just gonna lay
down for a minute.

[elephant trumpeting]

Holy [bleep].

[suspenseful music playing]

I'm feeling deep,
deep tiredness.

I'm just gonna lay
down for a minute.

[suspenseful music playing]

[elephant trumpets]

Holy [bleep].

[dramatic music playing]

I'm in between two
groups of elephants.

We have to walk quietly between
them and get back to camp.

[dramatic music playing]

They're gone.

Those elephants are everywhere.

And I'm so friggin' tired

I couldn't run
from them if I tried.

- [monica] hey.
- Hey.

I almost got charged again.

Wow.

We're such easy prey
out here being so weak.

I got something for you to chew.

It's a jasmine pod.
But it's basically fruit.

- Have you tried it?
- Yeah.

[monica] as we share the jasmine,
we can feel the sugar instantly.

Oh, it's so invigorating.

Wow.

[monica] there's definitely a
bit of morale boost having sugar.

[eerie music playing]

[elijah] this is the
night of day 18.

This is... We have
three nights left.

It's getting cold again.

[wind blowing]

[monica] it is freezing cold.

Uh, I had to wake up and
put my feet near the fire.

It's terrible.

- So frustrated with the cold.
- Me too.

So hard.

It just feels like you
haven't slept for days.

And I just not only feel
bad physically but mentally.

[elijah speaking]

[monica sighs]

So glad we have
a fire right now.

Day 19.

Last night was one
of the coldest nights

I've ever spent outside.

I almost wanted to cry.

I'm gonna warm up
a little. I'm so cold.

I've never been so cold

As I was last night.

Our noses were just frozen.

We didn't sleep at all.

And right now, physically,
I feel very, very weak.

[narrator] in colder
temperatures, a shivering body

Burns about 400
calories per hour

To stay warm, resulting in
significant dips in energy levels.

Can't tell how much I'm tired

From not sleeping
'cause of the cold

Or 'cause I'm so empty of food.

I'm feeling near
the end of my tank.

Very wild.

I don't know if
I've ever felt this...

Empty.

I feel so weird.

I'm not thinking very well.

I really should
just check the traps,

But I don't know. Think I'd
rather just rest and conserve.

We're exhausted and so tired.

Not sure how we're gonna
manage walking out of here

To extraction.

It sucks.

[monica] we're so close.

One night is not
going to make us

Not complete this
challenge as a team.

[elijah] last night
was really tough

Emotionally and mentally.

And the mental game is
a little tough sometimes.

I'm emotional at the moment,

But I've made
it too far to quit.

I'm so grateful for
my partner's support.

Oh, I am feeling it.

First thing I'm gonna do is
go take down those bird traps.

And I guess there'll
be time to get firewood

And rest up for a
long walk tomorrow.

I'm low on energy and

I'm praying that we get a little morsel
to eat before we walk out tomorrow.

Oh, my god!

Big, old, beautiful starling.

That's gonna help a lot.

Mmm... A little bit of...

Meat in the tank before walking.

It's the last full day. We're
so close to the finish line.

My body is feeling super weak.

I just found a bird. Now
I am super confident

That I'll be able
to walk out of here.

Hey, hey. Hey, hey!

How about that!

[bird squawks]

Record for traps.

For catching pigeons with hands,

Killing pigeons with pots,

That's awesome.

Last meal, we both get a
bird to eat. I'm so excited.

Last night of getting firewood.

Cook up some food.
Get ready for extraction.

[monica] another pot.

[elijah] yes!

Moni just killed another pigeon

With a pot full of water.

- Where is it?
- I'll hold...

[elijah chanting]

[elijah] it's nice to be sitting
under the shade of this tree

Looking out over the water
watching some elephants,

And doing a little singing.

I find it's really,
really relaxing

And really centers my soul.

[elijah bellowing]

Oh, my god. I really miss my
noise cancelling headphones

When I hear elijah singing.

-[elijah continues bellowing] -I don't
think he understands how bad it is.

It's just so bad.

[deep guttural grunting]

[elephant crying]

[monica] another pot.

[elijah] yes!

Moni just killed another pigeon

With a pot full of water.

- [elijah] where is it?
- I'll hold him.

It's right there.

Ah, good job.

Dinner!

[elijah] moni... If you see her on
the street with a pot full of water...

Don't mess with her.

- Dinner! Sweet.
- [monica laughing]

[elijah] I'm so excited
for some food tonight.

Get the rest of
those feathers off.

This is the last food

Before extraction.

We take our stick
and we run it through

The backside, next
to all the organs

And start roasting.

We're roasting
this bird on a stick.

Bird on a stick.

[elijah] oh, this is gonna
be the best bird yet.

Slow roast.

This is the best way to do it.

[elijah] oh, yeah.

Our last meal is delicious.

Oh, my god, it's so good
to have food right now.

And that's gonna
invigorate me a little bit

For extraction.

Day 20 and...

We are gonna get
matching tattoos.

There's elijah doing
himself the first

Tattoo. So we're gonna
get it on the left knee.

It's really special for
me to be able to like

Give each other tattoos

In a primitive style

Using the acacia thorns.

Using charcoal from the fire
that kept us warm for 21 days.

That's a beautiful thing.

There you go.

It's a broken line
and a whole line.

This is yin and yang from
brokenness to wholeness.

And every time I look
down at that I'll be like,

"yep, did that."

Right now it's my
turn to get tattooed.

For monica's tattoo, I'm
using clean new thorns.

I'm also sanitizing
my stick with the fire

And making fresh ink.

- Can you hold that?
- Yeah.

Yeah, right there.

[chuckles]

This is mine. [chuckles]

Fist bump. Best
friends for life.

- Our first african tattoo.
- [monica] mmm-hmm.

We are a couple of hours away

From day 21.

I cannot wait for this to end.

Looks like the... Night is not

Too cold yet.

Knock on wood.

Hopefully it stays good.

We've really grown a lot.
We're better people with...

A lot more perspective on how
we wanna go through life and

And what's really important.

[monica] it is...

Day 21!

[monica] I'm doing this so I
can show other people that

It's okay to take risks
and it's okay to go

Beyond our comfort zone.

It's very rewarding at the end

What you get to learn
from those experiences.

[elijah] nice. Good flow.

Yeah, get the left hand going
more and it'll float up easier.

Ah, super nice.

Yup, and then
you can start to...

Monica's confidence has grown

Immensely throughout
this whole challenge.

It's wonderful to see.

I'm really proud of her

And I'm really
proud to be a part of

Her process,
showing the world that

She's strong and that

Anybody can overcome anything.

- [monica] looks like it's full.
- [elijah] ooh.

Do you wanna take
that home with you

As a reminder?

Yeah, I will practice. Yeah.

- It's my gift to you.
- [monica chuckles] thanks.

It's a great gift.

Being out here with
you has taught me

That communication is
the way to solve things,

You know, and not just
keep them all inside of myself.

So it's something I'm really
happy I learned from you.

Thanks for saying
all that. It means a lot.

I feel like you really
taught me that I can, like,

Have a little more patience
when it comes to, like,

Problem solving and
connecting with somebody. I really

- Appreciate you for that.
- Yeah, me too.

So I figure we
should get rolling

As soon as possible. That way...

We're not walking
in the super-hot sun.

I don't think we should bring
water. Let's just hydrate before.

[elijah] cool.

Towards the end
of this challenge,

Monica and I have
connected a lot more deeply.

[elijah] oh, my
god. Super stoked.

Goodbye, boma, it's
been good. It's been real.

Get the... Out of here.

The ability to connect and
exchange information right now

Feels really strong and

I'm super confident monica and I are
gonna be able to walk out of here together.

All right, you got that map?

- [monica] so we're there?
- [elijah] yeah, that's what I'm seeing too.

We're gonna have to head
that way like northwest-ish.

All right, let's go.

[narrator] monica and
elijah will hike four miles

Through rough desert terrain
full of sharp acacia thorns

And fallen trees
that attract scorpions

And deadly black mamba snakes.

They'll then have to
hike two miles across

A savanna grassland

Where lions hide in wait...

And across a mud pan

Where seven-ton
elephants like to wallow...

Before reaching the clearing

Where they'll be rescued.

[elijah] ouch.

[monica] stepping on stuff.

- [elijah] whoa.
- Whoa!

- That's cool.
- Cool.

Oh, I'm gonna keep this
for the walk, in case I need to

Stab an elephant.

[monica exhales] it's so hot.

No straight path through here.

There's a lot of cover
for things to hide.

Gotta keep an eye
out. Make sure we don't

Get ambushed.

What do you think?

[monica] I feel like I've been
walking for days. I'm so tired.

Feeling weak, but
mentally strong.

[elijah] this is the last big
push. The final stretch of africa.

We're gonna walk through
a totally foreign environment.

Gotta make sure we still stay aware
and attentive as we walk through this.

I think we follow our shadows.

We'll be getting
there just right,

- If we keep the sun directly on our back.
- [monica] let's do it.

We walked in here...
Twenty-one days together.

Now we're walking out.

[monica] yeah.

[elijah] watch
out for the lions.

[monica] going through the
tall grass. This is where big cats

Hide to hunt their prey.

It's scary and...

I think we're prey right now.

[elijah] walking on that
slippery grass with the...

Hidden elephant holes

Can be a little tricky.

[monica] so dizzy.

Feel like 10 steps... I feel
like I'm gonna pass out.

Sun's so intense.

I should've drank more water.

I... I feel cramping everywhere.

[elijah] monica looks rough.

She's having a really
hard time walking.

There's those trees
over there. You see it?

- [monica sobbing] I know.
- It's like right there.

[elijah] you're doing so good.

-It's so close.
[sniffs] -yeah, it is.

You got this.

- You really do.
- Let's go.

[elijah] we're gonna
finish strong together.

I really feel that, like,

African motto, "if
you wanna go fast

Go alone."

[monica] "but go together
and you'll go further."

[elijah] I feel really honored

- To go through this whole experience with you.
- [monica] me too.

[elijah] we're on the other
side, made it across the pan.

Somewhere real close here should
be our road and our extraction.

I hope this is it.

So hot and

Dehydrated.

- [vehicle approaching]
- do you hear that?

Oh, look at that!

- Looks like our ride's here.
- [sighs in relief]

[elijah whooping triumphantly]

- [groaning in relief]
- yes!

- We did it.
- Boom. Boom!

I am so excited to be getting in
this truck and getting out of here.

I have so many emotions
welling up inside me.

[both scream joyously]

You know, I can persevere
through anything after that.

This experience has
totally changed my life.

I feel like my heart's
been opened immensely.

Monica taught me, like, so
much patience and compassion.

I think I have a better understanding
of how to walk in this world

And uplift others around me.

- We made it.
- [bleep] yeah!

[narrator] after
surviving for 21 days

In the harsh sankuyo
desert of botswana,

Elijah leaves the
challenge 40 pounds lighter.

His psr rises from 7.0 to 7.8.

-Proud of you -proud of you too.

[monica] you know, elijah
and I did really good teamwork.

This past 21 days
have been so tough,

Mentally and physically.

This experience changed my life

And taught me communication
is the way to solve things.

I'm so proud I made it.

I was out here to show

People with asperger's that

No tag is going
to define your limit.

[both cheering]

It's all in here.

You set your own limits,

So set them really high.

You can get there.

[narrator] monica lost 20
pounds and her psr rises

From 6.1 to 6.6.

Africa, you broke me but I
rebuilt myself even stronger.

[monica] I'm gonna give
my very best all the time

And be the best
version of myself

Twenty-one days!

We did it! We made it!

[both yelling joyously]