Recap: Naked And Afraid “All or Nothing” Season 5, Episode 5

Naked And Afraid "All or Nothing"
I'm coco-nuts for this fun bra!

Naked And Afraid "All or Nothing"This week, two new brave survivalists have accepted the challenge in Naked And Afraid “All or Nothing.” Their home for the next three weeks is West Nalaut, the Philippines. This tropical paradise is hella hot and humid hides many creepy-crawly (and deadly) secrets in its lush jungles including dengue fever-carrying mosquitos and the Philippine cobra, whose bite can kill a human in less than 30 minutes.

Let’s meet the chosen two…

Jeremy McCaa
Age: 38 years old
Occupation: Construction
Current Residence: Monroe, Louisiana
Relationship Status: Married
Survival Skills: Hunting, Animal tracking, Primitive shelter building, Friction fire
My favorite thing about Jeremy? His discovery.com bio shows him hauling an awesome fish basket! And his intro video shows him making a friction fire with bamboo — awesome!! Could Jeremy be the first-ever N&A participant to be able to find a consistent food source? I hope so!
Beginning PSR 7.3 out of 10.0

Cassidy Flynn
Age: 26 years old
Occupation: Communications Student
Current Residence: San Francisco, CA
Relationship Status: Single
Survival Skills: Shelter construction, Plant identification, Botany
Cassidy’s discovery bio points to a variety of outdoorsy pursuits and I appreciate that she seems confident in shelter building. And I love her dad’s pre-departure-dinner plea to cover up, “You can be afraid, but don’t be naked,” he implores. Good luck, Daddy’s surfer girl!
Cassidy’s Initial PSR 6.1 out of 10.0.

Jeremy isn’t thrilled to be naked in front of a woman who isn’t his wife, it sounds like they’ve been together since they were young teens. Cassidy likes being nude and is fine with anyone seeing her in the buff. But they’re both excited to meet, I’m sure the pre-insertion anticipation has kept them up for days!

Each survivalist was allowed one primitive survival item. Cassidy brought a pot; Jeremy brought a roll of snare wire. They were also given a knife.

Day 1
From the get-go, Cassidy is thrilled by her “good-guy” partner, who wouldn’t be? He seems ego-free and a great team-player. Because of the heat, Jeremy and Cassidy make water a priority, but first they need to locate a camp. After a red ant encounter, they head to the island’s bay. Cassidy heads straight into the surf. The surfer girl is in her element, I wouldn’t have been surprised if the water baby’s legs turned into fins and she swam away! Jeremy’s plan is to sleep out under the stars, so shelter can wait while he starts the fire-making process.

Cassidy finds a damp patch of ground and suggests digging a well down to the water table while Jeremy tries to make fire. Once they have fire, they’ll hopefully have a ready water source, can boil water and enjoy a drink before bedtime. After Cassidy digs for a while, she deems the water too deep to keep digging that night. Jeremy’s genius friction fire method is thiiiiiis close to working on night one, but he’s too dehydrated to finish the job. And it’s pitch black, which definitely makes working with tiny coals a lot more challenging.

Day 2
Jeremy wakes up thirsty. He and Cassidy head back to where Cassidy dug in the dark the night before. After three hours of digging, Jeremy is completely in the hole. After 4.5 hours of digging, they find gross-smelling water. “It’s like something died in that hole,” says Jeremy. They look forward to coming back later and hope to find the hole full of boilable water.

That night is a sleepless one for Cassidy who gets chewed by mosquitoes.

Day 3
Cassidy is using mud to soothe her bug bites and act as sunscreen. And Jeremy tries to make fire again, and fails again. Cassidy wants to find green coconuts and encourages Jeremy to take a dip in the ocean and sit in the shade to cool down.

Cassidy returns with her tote chock-full of coconuts. It’s like an early Christmas for her thirsty partner.
“I was ready to blow dust out of my mouth,” says Jeremy.
“Oh man, I love coconuts so much!” Cassidy giggles after a refreshing drink.
But one of the coconuts is rotten and Jeremy barfs up what he’s just drunk.
Somehow, Jeremy has just enough energy to dig deep and makes fire like a champ. Woo Hoo! Then he and Cassidy race to their well to begin rehydrating.

That night, nature calls and they visit the jungle potty. Jeremy leads the way into the jungle with his partner and they encounter a Philippine cobra! Run away team! Luckily, it was cold enough that the snake was moving slowly and they flee before they get a deadly bite.

Naked And Afraid "All or Nothing"
Hey — someone’s swimming in our pool!

Day 4
Their well has a visitor. A rat is enjoying a swim and even though the rogue bather has contaminated their water, they’re going to boil it anyway and hey— free food. Jeremy tosses the rat to his partner who chops it with the knife. Mmm, rat. Or in the words of former N&A survivalist Darrin, “Mmm, rat kabobs.”

Naked And Afraid "All or Nothing"
If we eat first with our eyes, I’m gonna pass on this gross sight.

Now that they’ve had some food and water, they build a rudimentary shelter. And go about the survival game for the next few days.

Day 8
The water level is falling in their well. They’ll either need to dig deeper or find another source of water. The changing ocean tides are affecting their water source.

Cassidy suggests they make a well out of a banana tree. Once they chop the tree to a stump, water will still flow up the xylem and collect in the stump’s bowl. It works!

Naked And Afraid "All or Nothing"
I’m coco-nuts for this fun bra!

The Cali charmer promised her pops that she wouldn’t be au natural the entire time. Jeremy helps her fashion a coconut bra. “It’s cleavage enhancing!” she giggles.
Cassidy is grateful that Jeremy used his precious energy to help her clothe herself. But now that Cassidy’s technically “covered,” why is the show still blurring much of her upper body?

While Jeremy looks for food to hunt, Cassidy discovers two “Jungle Chicken” eggs. They boil water and when Justin opens the egg, they discover a gross surprise — one of the eggs has an embryo. eeew balut. It is a specialty in the Philippines, so when in Manilla… But Cassidy is too grossed out to eat the baby chick. I guess I would be too, but that’s just my full belly talking. “Hangry Kellie” might be willing to lower culinary standards.

Day 10
The fire has gone out, their well is dry, and they’ve eaten a fetal chicken. Can things get any worse for Cassidy and Jeremy?

Day 12
The bamboo tree well is no longer potable. A frustrated Cassidy says, “Nature is like a chess game. You make a move and then it makes a counter-move.”

Cassidy thinks she’s at her breaking point. Jeremy thinks he’s reached his end; and even though his wife encourages him not to tap out, and not to cry, but he looks ready to end the misery.

“I think this is the moment that defines true character,” says Jeremy. In a surprise move (the episode is almost up) Justin says he’s not ready to give up. His wife’s words echo in his head and he still have more to give to his partner and this experience.

He gives making fire one more go. “Make it hot!” his partner encourages him. And when Jeremy finally gets a coal, they rejoice. That night, the fire renews them.

Day 13
Jeremy heads to the well for the first time in a few days. It’s bone dry. He dejectedly returns to camp and he and Cassidy decide to tap out. They leave, arm in arm, and even though they’ve failed in their survival situation, I think they’ve found lifelong friends in each other. I’d like to think that Cassidy will soon travel from Cali to Louisiana to meet Jeremy’s wife and family.

They were a great partnership and if they’d been able to find a consistent water source, I think they’ would have made it the full 21 days. They were a good team and I think the support that they showed each other demonstrates their greatest Naked and Afraid success — being good people.

The trip’s toll
Over 13 days, Jeremy lost 18 pounds and saw his PSR fall from 7.3 to 6.1 out of 10.0; while Cassidy lost 9 pounds and her PSR tumbled from 6.1 to 4.9 out of 10.0.

Next week, it’s the Naked and Afraid season finale, and also the premiere of a Naked and Afraid-type show called Men Women Wild premieres Nov. 11. I’m not sure how this series differs from a similarly-titles series that appeared on Discovery in 2010.

Other Naked and Afraid Episodes

Recap: Naked and Afraid: “The Swarm” Season 5, Episode 4
Recap: Naked and Afraid: “The Darkest Hour” Season 5, Episode 3
Recap: Naked and Afraid: “Fear the Unknown” Season 5, Episode 2
Recap: Naked and Afraid Season 5 Premiere “Foresaken”
Preview Clip from Naked and Afraid Season 5 premiere
Casting Director reveals how to get on Naked and Afraid
Naked and Afraid casting secrets
Naked and Afraid XL reunion “Dirty Dozen Returns”

All images © Discovery Communications

28 Comments

  1. All of the commentators, so far, have overlooked the fact that the map Jeremy and Cassidy consulted on their first day plainly showed a blue, fresh water pond on the route to the other side of the island. And we heard Jeremy say, “We have possibly some fresh water.” (So I don’t understand why the narrator said their best bet for fresh water was to walk to a very remote bay “where the underground water table is closest to the surface.” Why walk that long distance, to dig, when the map plainly shows a fresh water pond much closer to you?) Maybe the answer is that the fresh water pond turned out to be dry, and so the walk to it was not shown?

  2. It is especially disturbing to me that the film crew and producer were present during the entire process. They had to know they had placed Jeremy and Cassidy in an impossible location. Yet they did nothing but film the suffering. It seems evil to me.

  3. These two people were two of the best people ever on the show and the producers put them in an impossible situation to survive. No water and in the dry season and they are lucky they last as long as they did. These two people deserve another chance to appear on the show with a fighting chance to survive for the 21 day period. I don’t know anybody who could have survived for 21 days under the conditions they were in. I am sure the producers were well aware that the chances to be successful were slim to none. I am disappointed in the Discovery Channel for this injustice.

    • i agree they do deserve another chance together. they had great chemistry and ability. i hope they do this again.

    • I have a hard time believing that the producers would actually place them in an area with NO WATER. Why would they do that? It doesn’t make any sense but I agree with everyone who has complained about this. It’s like a nasty joke that’s not funny. Too bad for these two; they could probably have made the 21 days.

    • I agree with you Bill, totally set up to fail. I’m surprised they didn’t have the announcer do a voice over:

      “Due to the fact that neither Jeremy or Cassidy failed to display a Mutant power to drink fresh salt water their PSR scores have been reduced. . .”

      I would like to see anyone survive in that environment for 21 days, not possible. It was almost set up as some kind of weird torture chamber like Saw in which Jeremy and Cassidy were expected to survive in.

      What the hell Naked and Afraid arent your sites vetted before hand?

      Jason

  4. This was unfair and really sucks. They were set up to fail by the producers. They should be brought back together at another location. The producers should have the decency to admit that they screwed up and offer them a new chance to try again.

  5. I absolutely agree with the comments above. This episode really made me mad at the producers. Cassidy and Jeremy were among the best competitors the show has ever seen but how they can compete on an island with NO FRESH WATER? Were they supposed to dig the well another six feet? Create a desalination plant? Come on, this is ridiculous! It was so unfair to them to set them up to fail like that. Of course I don’t think they failed at all – the producers failed! They were among the best couples the show has ever had in their willingness to work hard, support each other and show what teamwork is all about. Kudos to two of them for a great performance!

    • Totally agree with you Bill, and not only that the Producers had the audacity to lower both Jeremy and Cassidy’s PSR score by over a point? What the hell? I think the producers should have their IQ score lowered for setting up an impossible challenge. And once realizing what they have done, not introducing a Deus ex Machina to set things right. What were they suppose to do, start drinking salt water and see if their kidneys could hold out another eight days?

      Jason

  6. Kelli,
    Jeremy and Cassidy were among the most cooperative of all the participants and are good people.
    They were even successful building 2 fires with a fire saw.
    NO WATER SOURCE forced them to spend all their time thirsting and searching for water. Jeremy and Cassidy remained together despite the Producers “brain fart.”
    I think Garfinkle(?) and the other producers deserve to receive several kicks to the groin.

  7. I haven’t even watched the show yet but, after the above comments, it seems like just another boring episode. I’ve been seeing previews for “Men Women Wild” and it looks like they are married couples or partners doing the same adventure as N&A, looking forward to it. Over the weekend, I saw 3 reruns starring Shane, Luke and EJ in their 21-day stints and it worked out great with them on a one-to-one partnership. It’s only when you get a group of 12 that the drama starts and their personalities all change. However, it provided us all with great drama last summer and am looking forward to the next one. One question: How come the maps are always given to the woman and why are the women so much more susceptible to insect bites; must be our sweet skin. 🙂

  8. I enjoyed this read, well done. Cassidy and I gave a 100% for the show and to each other. She is a great person and partner and yes we are going to meet up so I can introduce her to my wife

    • Jeremy why do you give the show a 100% when they set you up to fail? Was there a clue that somehow you guys missed? Seems like it was a lot unfair expecting you guys what? To drink salt water?

      It would be akin to throwing someone off a cliff and expecting them to develop the ability to fly.

      I understand its suppose to be hard, but certainly not impossible. What did the producers tell you afterwards? Should have dug your well here, instead of where you did. Should have harvested more coconuts?

      too bad you couldn’t demonstrate you trapping prowness, and good job with the fire starting with the bamboo.

      Jason

      Jason

    • Fantastic ! i hope the two of you will try again. i admire the strength you gave each other. and a shout out to your wife for being there for you and the kids. sometimes i feel people forget the ones at home. two thumbs up to you all.

  9. Well lets face it, the odds were stacked against them, not sure what they could have done to survive that challenge unless one of their tools was a fresh water still.

    Somehow I think the producers blew it on this challenge, come on, no water source? You could ?Bear Grils and he would have tapped out.

    I think they through this event in there to show everybody that not all the challenges are survivable. Its like dropping someone in the middle of the desert and expecting them to survive, not going to happen. Too bad there weren’t animals to snare would have been interesting.

    I don’t think the producers expected the well to run dry.

    Mad props both to Cassidy and Jeremy, would like to see them again in a challenge that is finishable.

    • I agree. It’s not really fair to expect participants to survive on an island without a freshwater source.

      • Yea in a lot of ways this was one of the most impressive Naked and afraids because the participants worked so well together. Would have loved to have seen them in a challenge that was doable.

        Darn those producers, the one that set that one up should have been fired. Well maybe a little harsh. But the challenge has to be doable. And if not, why not a little bit of a deus ex machina and introduce a stash of drinkable coconuts that come drifting in on a bundle, or a jettisoned five gallons of fresh water that has to last seven days.

        But thirsting out the contestants seems a little, well, unfair.

        Jason

    • Yes, that was pretty insane. Mad props to Jeremy who was the only male survivalist on any episode of N&A who actually made fire without a fire starter or a supplied fire tool…..Great job as well for Cassidy. But completely whacked that there was no drinkable water on the small island and they seemed to have been there during a drought as well since, well, no rainfall. There was no game either, but I will have to say, by golly, that Jeremy’s first comment on seeing the bay that it was a great source of food, and then they did nothing, zero, zilch, nada. No fish traps, no nothing. Too bad as likely they could have used it as a resource.

      • Hi Kenno,

        I believe CJ the ranger survivalist in Africa made afire without a supplied fire starter, he almost tapped out trying to do it though. He and forgot her name were camped out near a fetid wattering hole.

      • Correction KenO. E.J. and Kelli (fire plow), Puma and Julie (bow drill), Luke and Lindsey (bow drill), Clint and Laura (bow drill), Dani J and Justin (bow drill after Justin lost his fire starter, as well as a couple of others made fires with natural materials they collected.

      • Ken-
        I’d like to think that if Jeremy and Cassidy hadn’t been dying of thirst, they would have been able to focus on fishing. I was convinced that their fishing skills were going to have them bulling fish after fish from the water.
        If I was in their situation, I don’t think I would have trusted myself do be in the saltwater without drinking mouthfuls of it.

        • Very good observation because it agrees with mine!! LOL. Jeremy and Cassidy spent so much time trying to find sources of water there was little time for other needs.

        • Also, no matter how much food they might have gathered, they could not digest it without water.

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