Alone Season 5 Episode 9 Review: Starvation's Shadow
Kim Russell
at
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Well, damn. One horse down, one to go!
On Alone Season 5 Episode 9, we watch one of the most skilled players go down on his own terms, and it sucked.
Dave was the first to build a deer stand, and his days navigating the landscape, bow in hand, silently searching for prey, was nothing short of magnificent. Ultimately, the starvation did him in.
He revealed that last time when he tapped, he struggled to eat and digest food again. That's going to leave a mark on anyone, so you can't blame the guy for not wanting to experience that level of starvation again.
But, man!
Oh, I'm hungry!
Dave
Yes, he had a hard time coming to terms with the killing aspect of the show, but he worked his way past it. He had such a positive attitude and appreciation for nature.
If you watched Dave while he was in Patagonia, you know he was emaciated beyond belief, so it was no wonder he was pulled. I couldn't imagine that happening this time, but apparently, he could, and it was his downfall.
It's a mental game, folks.
And if positive mental attitudes are going to win the game, then you really can't say who's going to make it to the half million dollars.
All three of the remaining contestants -- even Larry -- are pulling on all their mental faculties to stay positive. It's working too!
The mind is a powerful thing.
You can't beat hunger and starvation. True.
You can't control when your body breaks down to the point of danger. True.
It's tough to just watch muscles on your body disappear.
Dave
But if you can find food and your body doesn't give out, your mind is going to sail you through to the end.
Now let's touch on Larry a little bit because he's been surprising. He's got anger issues, we've all seen it, and it could've taken him out of the game, but it didn't. Yet.
Why?
Because he has given himself permission to feel whatever he's going to feel, express it, and get to the other side. That's healthy! He only has to deal with himself out there, and it allows him to cycle through his emotions without having to reel them in.
Mongolia is therapy for Larry. Let's hope it sticks when he gets home.
Related: Alone Season 5 Episode 8 Review: Slayer II
Sam is freaking out because he hasn't gone to the bathroom, but what has he eaten?
Items have to go into the piehole, get processed by the systems in place, and come out the other end. No input, no output! Unless I'm mistaken, Sam's been having a problem finding food for a while now, so it's probably a case where he just doesn't have anything in there to come out.
I just lost my lure. Damn!
Britt
When you're starving, though, you're not thinking rationally. I just hope he doesn't tap for poop. Then he'll go to the hospital, and they'll all be like, "Uh, Sam, we did an x-ray of your stomach and intestines, and they're just empty, man."
Sam will scream, "Nooooooo!" which will echo throughout the hospital, out the windows, over the mountains of Mongolia, and straight to Britt's camp.
Britt, of course, will have a chuckle and shake his head at poor silly Sam, who thought he couldn't poop.
Don't tap, Sam. It's too soon.
Speaking of Britt, he's in it to win it. He may not have much food, but I have no doubt he's going to figure out a way to get some. That lure was a beaut, and he is the only one who got a hit on his rod in this cold weather, so he's onto something.
The man is making Christmas ornaments and doing funny skits for his audience. How can you not love the guy?
Now that Dave's gone, it's team Britt all the way.
I've been harvesting plants when I can. There's just not a lot of them.
Larry
What's the difference between the three that makes me say that?
Innovation.
Larry and Sam are desperate for food. They're keeping their minds busy, and they're all philosophical and whatnot, but they're not thinking outside the box when it comes to food.
Yes, Larry climbed the hill looking for food, and that was great. At least it was something, but it wasn't fruitful, and he spent a ton of energy on it. He had to try something, but beyond traveling outside his comfort zone, I don't see Larry coming up with on-the-fly rigs to get food.
Sam's creative, no doubt. I want one of those spoons, and he needs to send me one, but he's been having a problem thinking about new ways to get food. And his mind is on his butt right now.
But Britt? Britt has ideas. He tries new things all the time. Britt is going to hit on an idea, execute it, and have himself a nice warm meal.
Mark my words.
What do you think, Alone fans? Is Britt going to make it to the end? Will Sam poop? Has Larry found the therapy he's been looking for for years?
And who was disappointed when Dave left?
Hit the comments and share your thoughts.
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Kim Russell was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She retired in January 2019.
