281 replies to this topic

[Sigispero]

Apologies if there's already a topic on this. I haven't been able to find one. Did anyone watch this? This has to be one of the grimmest things I've ever seen on TV. I really didn't expect it to be this graphic, yet I couldn't turn away. Pretty hard going over all.

[mentalpretzel]

Ok. So my fear of the ocean is complete now. Shark Week couldn't quite do it this year, and this finished it. It was just so realistic and creepy. I found myself a little torn over whether or not I even wanted to watch it.

Yeah...so being all battered up, almost drowning, shark attacks, infections and going crazy? I'll pass. Sign me up for a land-only vacation.

[Sigispero]

I hate water too. I think Jaws ruined me. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one freaked out by this. I should add that I thought this was very uneven. The acting ranged from mediocre to bad, the hallucination sequence was off the wall, and yet it still got to me.

[katymo]

I saw this too, it was so creepy and scary. I could not believe what I was hearing, with the two guys just jumping overboard after a few days and Meg with the puss and everything in the boat. Ew! I agree about some of the acting (which actually lightened the mood at inappropriate times), but yeah I'll be back next episode.

[BostonTeaParty]

Yeah...so being all battered up, almost drowning, shark attacks, infections and going crazy? I'll pass. Sign me up for a land-only vacation

Yeah, I knew about this from watching a ton of documentaries on the USS Indianapolis. It's not every day that the greatest naval disaster in U.S. history combines a person's two greatest fascinations: sharks and WWII.

But, the surviving veterans would always kind of gloss over that part. "Oh yeah, and we had these horrible sores from being in open water. In other news, I also like apples.."

This show? Didn't spare me in the same way. *shudder* I agree about the bizarro hallucinations sequences. More hilarious than gripping.

[LaraAriadne]

This show totally traumatized me. As in, I couldn't get the images out of my head all night. Especially the part about Meg, that was the worst.

[Sigispero]

But, the surviving veterans would always kind of gloss over that part. "Oh yeah, and we had these horrible sores from being in open water. In other news, I also like apples."

Heh. I was impressed too at how detailed it was about the actual ordeal. Hopefully there'll be some better acting in the next episode, since I'll definitely be sticking around for this.

Edited by Sigispero, Oct 30, 2005 @ 9:30 PM.

[LPTrixieKiller]

I sort of was left hungry for more resolution. In some of the interviews, I really detected some bitterness between the two survivors. Usually these sorts of shows make a point that people who have been through such experiences wind up being BFF, forever linked by a common bond. I really didn't get that impression here - there seemed to be some unresolved anger and blame. I'm just curious if these two talk or are friendly with each other.

In other news, I would have been long dead before the sharks. I'm such a wimp, I could never have handled those turbulant seas. I would have drowned pretty early on.

[nadiafox]

I noted the bitterness as well. It actually sits better with me that they're not superbestfriends after their experience. They likely do have some unresolved issues and it showed. But that's more believeable to me than the tons of post-danger interviews I've seen on tv where the survivors are huggy-touchy and are BFF.

I'm looking forward to the next one.

[BlueJayne]

Heh. I was impressed too at how detailed it was about the actual ordeal. Hopefully there'll be some better acting in the next episode, since I'll definitely be sticking around for this.

I'm suprised at this. It was a re-enactment of those people's horrible ordeal, not a drama to see how well the actors played the victim's.

Yeah...so being all battered up, almost drowning, shark attacks, infections and going crazy? I'll pass. Sign me up for a land-only vacation.

I couldn't believe that those people actually ended up dying. Meg's wounds were absolutely horrific and it was likely that she was going to die from blood poisoning but I still thought they'd be rescued. I remember the one guy letting go of the good life raft with all the survival gear and radar beacon to signal the coast guard... I couldn't believe he did that and they didn't go after it. They chose to stay in the cold water too long instead of flipping over the dingy as soon as possible. They could have caught the rain water in the bottom of the boat and had freshwater to drink. (yeah there'd be water in the boat but they'd have to drink something.) They just barely got into the boat with the sharks swimming all around. Several of them decided to drink the sea water and they started hallucinating within hours. Those people jumped into the water and were eaten by sharks one by one. I'm glad that 2 people survived. Such a horrible story.

[LPTrixieKiller]

I remember the one guy letting go of the good life raft with all the survival gear and radar beacon to signal the coast guard... I couldn't believe he did that and they didn't go after it. They chose to stay in the cold water too long instead of flipping over the dingy as soon as possible.

I don't think going after it was even an option. With the turbulant waters, that raft was quickly sucked out to sea. Not to mention, the middle of the ocean, during a massive storm? It is pretty dark. He had a split second to decide what to do - try to chase after it and lose it and drown, or go to the zodiac craft and hope that the coast guard rescues them. ITA though with not flipping over the dingy. They must have been worried about the air temperature.

I loved how the coast guard didn't come because of an "anonymous phone call". Cover up, much? They have the blood of 3 people on their hands, and if I was one of the two survivors, I'd be demanding an investigation.

[lexkat]

I wish that they hadn't showed us who the narrators were at the beginning - I think it would have been scarier if we found out at the end which people had survived.
It's scary how far out they drifted -- and going 5 days without water? wow.

I don't think they could have drunken any water collected in the dinghy because of all the blood, puss, urine, etc she said was laying in the bottom. Yuck.

[Sigispero]

I'm surprised at this.  It was a re-enactment of those people's horrible ordeal, not a drama to see how well the actors played the victim's

Oh, don't get me wrong. The story was definitely what hooked me. It's just that I found the over-the-topness distracting at times. Btw, I agree that there seems to be an estrangement between the two survivors. I thought something was up when they weren't interviewed together. It's refreshing to see that things aren't always wrapped up in sunshine and happiness.

[nadiafox]

ACK! My DVR messed up for unknown reasons and I only got to see up to when Jim saw the truck. Could someone please tell me what happened afterwards, like if everyone survived? Actually, did they say if they were still together?

Now I'm afraid of snow, as well as the ocean. This show's going to make me agoraphobic :-/ haha

[Sigispero]

I'm afraid I'll have to be kind of vague since I was only half watching in parts (stupid social life getting in the way). Jim eventually made his way to a cabin in the woods where he found a couple who helped him contact authorities. Meanwhile Jennifer and Clay where hiding in a cave trying to keep warm. Thankfully everyone made it out safely. Jim and Jennifer both suffered from frostbite and had their toes amputated, undergoing four months of rehab. Clay turned out just fine and is perfectly healthy today. Irc, Jennifer seems to have remarried, but overall there wasn't much talk about the aftermath.

Again there wasn't much closure but it was still really gripping in parts, I don't think I breathed the entire time they were checking to see if Clayton was still alive. It just blows my mind to think that they endured that for nine days.

ETA: I thought I should add some info I found on the web. The Stolpas later had a daughter, Shelby, but ended up divorcing. Apparently they're still on good terms.

Edited by Sigispero, Nov 5, 2005 @ 3:13 AM.

[MABrimer]

Nadiafox just to add more detail to what Sigispero told ya: When Jim arrived at the truck, he climbed in and tried to start it to get warm, but no luck. He slept in the truck that night and started out early the next morning, re-tracing the path they drove earlier that week. He came across a road sign informing him it was 54 miles to the next town. After little water and no food for almost a week, he was unsure if he could walk that far, but knowing Jennifer and Clay needed him, he continued. As he is walking he begins to hallucinate, hearing Jennifer's voice behind him encouraging him continue. He thinks this may mean she has died and Clay is out there all alone.
Back in the cave, Jennifer has stopped producing milk, so she melts snow in her mouth and dribbles it into Clay's mouth. Eventually she becomes to weak to even crawl out and gather snow. She begins to lick the melted snow off rocks and suck on a belt she lets get wet with melting snow.
Back to Jim; while he is walking, he sees a truck. He waves it down and is resucued. The rescuer and his co-worker follow Jim's instructions to find Jennifer and Clay in their cave.

I actually have seen a made for tv movie Snowbound, that tells the Stolpa's story. It starred Neil Patrick Harris and Kellie Williams (from the Practice). It focused on the couple's family and their (futile) efforts to get police assistance in searching for the couple, as well as Jim and Jennifer's struggles. It also shows them trying to recover in the hospital. It was quite moving and not cheesy at all compared to most movies you catch on Lifetime.

[Sigispero]

Great recap MABrimer. I totally forgot about the 54 miles part. The strength of these people is amazing.

[nadiafox]

Sigispero, MABrimer-- Thank you! I appreciate all the details :) I was ticked that I missed it, but this helps.

54 miles? ack. I wonder how far he walked away from the cave. I wish I'd seen Snowbound, but I think I actually remember hearing about it.

By the way-- Jennifer's blackened feet scared the hell out of me, and the baby was adorable.

I don't think I breathed the entire time they were checking to see if Clayton was still alive.

Neither did I. It's nice to hear he grew up ok.

[catrina]

Its sad though that they eventually divorced. I thought that might have happened since she had a new hyphenated last name. I'm glad they're still on good terms but it makes me all cynical about that "I love you" stuff.

I wonder if the fact that he was an army guy is what made his exhertions possible? He was probably more fit than the average 21-year-old.

[mandible27]

I didn't see the beginning of the snow episode ...Why did they get stuck? What were they doing out there in the middle of winter?

[rianaMartin]

They were on their way to a funeral - and it was a combination of being caught in EXTREMELY bad weather without snow chains (they had made an ill-fated decision to take them off of their vehicle earlier in the day) and missing a "road closed" sign that was half obscured with snow.

That said, as good as this episode was, nothing could compare with watching Doogie huff it through 20+ miles of snow covered terrain...how awesome must that be, anyway? "I almost died in a frozen wasteland, and I lost all my toes, but DOOGIE FUCKING HAUSER played me in the made-for-TV-movie?" Awesome.

[Sigispero]

Wow, no takers?

These stories just seem to get more and more grueling. I wonder what the hell happened to Marcos and Carl. Knowing Carl, they may not have died under natural circumstances.

Looks like Africa's the next stop on our world misery tour. It kinda makes me appreciate the comforting boredom of middle America.

ETA: If anyone's interested they're going to be rerunning the Amazon and Shark episodes at 9 and 10 MT time tonight.

Edited by Sigispero, Nov 13, 2005 @ 6:03 PM.

[merroni]

Could someone recap the last 15 minutes for me, please? I fell asleep right after the one guy got rescued. I was so tired Friday night, I could barely keep my eyes open for as long as I did. Thanks in advance!!

[bucksterman09]

Yossi from the Amazon show has a book out -- it's on Amazon.com but I saw it in my bookstore this weekend. It's called Jungle, I believe.

(edited to clarify confusion between Amazon episode and Amazon website LOL)

Edited by bucksterman09, Nov 16, 2005 @ 6:31 PM.

[Indecisive]

This show reminds me of the "Drama in Real Life" sections of Reader's Digest that I used to adore as a kid. I stopped reading them when one month's story featured a dog rescue.

The African survival story was pretty good--I recognized the "Drama in Real Life" formula immediately, with the rescue held off til the last moment, and the "I was at peace with myself/I was going to fight to the end!/I realized at that moment I was going to die/I made it!" from the interview. Grossest moment? Chewing on the rotten stick.

[MABrimer]

Not to diminish African Bush survivor’s story, but it didn’t seem nearly as terrifying to me as the previous ones. I know he was in extreme pain from all of the broken bones and sun exposure, as well as being terrified of the animals that could attack him; but he seemed to be much more knowledgeable about his situation and its perils than the other survivors. Also, he was not out in the bush all that long (a day and a half) compared to the Stolpas (9-10 days), the Amazon guys (over a month), or even the boat crew (5 days).

Was it just me or did he remind anyone else of Andrew Farris of INXS? I kept waiting to say “I’m sorry African Bush, but you’re just not the roit place for me to die.”

Re books written by the survivors: Deborah Scaling Kiley, who survived in the dinghy has written a couple of books based on her experiences. From the reviews, it seems she really delves into the fighting between the 5 people, the craziness of the 2 salt water drinkers, and the stupidity and mistakes that lead to the 5 of them ending up in the dinghy.

merroni In the Amazon jungle episode, Kevin is rescued after happening upon a couple of fishermen. He is taken to an army base and recovers in a few days. He tries to get people to search for Yossi, but most feel he is lost to the jungle. He convinces a plane to take tour of the area. Yossi hears the plane but is covered by the think jungle overgrowth and is not visible to the pilot. Kevin realizes searching by plane is futile since the pilot will not go low enough to allow him to see beneath the tree tops. Kevin searches for a native to take him by boat back up into the jungle. Meanwhile Yossi is growing weaker and weaker and facing horrid creepy crawlies (those huge jungle ants that swarm places in mile wide packs). He is stumbling blindly through the jungle searching for the river. He makes it to the river and decides to give up and die. Just then he hears a buzzing sound; it is the boat with Kevin. Kevin’s guide has reached the end of the area he is willing to search and is at that moment turning around. Yossi manages to stand up and just before the boat goes out of view, Kevin sees him. Yossi survives over a month alone in the jungle and is an author and motivational speaker. He and Kevin go back and try to find some trace of their other friend and the nut job guide. It was also revealed the native village Carl was taking them to didn’t exist.

Edited by MABrimer, Nov 19, 2005 @ 10:49 AM.

[Sigispero]

Was is just me or did he remind anyone else of Andrew Farris of INXS?

No, but he did remind me of Eli Wallach. :D

More OT, this episode was actually more tense for me. This guy just could not catch a break, what with crawling back and forth between the wreckage and fending off random wildlife. I agree that his knowledge saved his ass several times.

Deborah's books sound interesting. Looks like I'm off to Amazon ( not that one thankfully)!

[Lirwin]

Not to diminish African Bush survivor’s story, but it didn’t seem nearly as terrifying to me as the previous ones. Also, he was not out in the bush all that long (a day and a half) compared to the Stolpas (9-10 days), the Amazon guys (over a month), or even the boat crew (5 days).

Yes. From the comfort of my living room couch, I thought the same thing...Gee only 27 hours! What about the poor guy who lasted a month?! Now that was truly unbelievable. This episode, not so much.

[katymo]

Yeah it kind of seems like every episode is a little less horrific than the last. I mean the bush guy was seriously horrific, but compare that to the drifting in the ocean one that ran first. No contest! Not that I want bad things to happen to people, but it IS TV. Still love the show.