Recap: Naked and Afraid XL Episode 4: 40 Days Jungle Rich

Naked and Afraid XL, Episode 4
Oh, team promance, you look tough with your sticks, but we just saw you do Bro-ga so we know you're pussycats at heart.
Naked and Afraid XL, Episode 4
EJ and Jeff strike a “Hero Pose.”

17 days ago, 12 Naked and Afraid headed in to the unforgiving Colombian badlands. Now, 10 survivalists remain.

In El Bosque, Shane has separated himself from his teammates Alana and Danielle. Danielle is rocking an awesome hat and the ladies are enjoying a successful fruit harvest. The women refer to Shane as “The weird neighbor,” and now that Shane (and their camp’s tension) is gone, they are trying their luck with fish baskets.

Naked and Afraid XL, Episode 4
Shane tries out his spear.

Loner Shane seems to be enjoying his solitude too. He’s fashioned a spear and is on a walkabout in hint of the elusive capybara that has been seen around camp. But, the large rodent proves elusive.

Alana’s clever fishing method is fruitful and she catches a fish! And since Danielle is a vegetarian, the fish is all hers.

Over in Roca Diablo, EJ and Jeff are out of food. They’ve decided to walk 13 miles across the savanna to Piranha Lake to find food. In preparation, EJ has made a carrying pack to take a few barrel cacti with them and before heading into the unknown, and devout Jeff prays for protection and protein.

Chris and Luke find a grove of mangos and they fill their packs with the vitamin-rich fruit. And in the process, tree-climbing Chris gets his fanny, literally eaten by ants. But the foraging is “Fruitful” and now they can add a bunch of mangos to their cache of food. Full bellies makes survivalists giddy and before long, they start riffing about their jungle riches, calling themselves “Jungle Ballers” and calling their experience, “Sur-thriving.” Team Bromance is rolling in fruit.

Shane, who is anemic, is desperate for iron. He goes on a nighttime hunt in search of the meet that has eluded him. But in the night, he encounters a coral snake and thankfully isn’t bitten. It’s a near miss.

Day 18
In Lady Land, Eva, Dani and Laura have decided that their camp lacks the resources that they need to survive. They’ve only eaten minnows and lizards and need plant resources. (They’re lucky to have eaten so much protein!) They decide to head over to Chris and Luke’s camp in Cano Verde, take a look around, and regroup.

Naked and Afraid XL, Episode 4
Oh, Team Bromance, you look tough with your sticks, but we just saw you do downward dog, so we know you’re pussycats at heart.

Over in Cano Verde, Luke teaches Luke how to do yoga. Naked Yoga. The turtle strolls across screen to the dulcet tones of a flute. Their camp is so fun: who would expect that a survival situation would include naked bro-ga?

After they finish their stretching session, the ladies stroll into camp. The men are happy to see three beautiful naked women walk into camp, but three more hungry mouths might deplete their limited resources.

The women are sick of protein and the men are hungry for meat, so they decide that as long as everyone is positive and willing to work, the women are welcome to stay. The men treat the women with hot mangos (which sounds delicious) and the ladies are excited to help provide protein.

EJ and Jeff are suffering in the savanna. After 6 hours of treacherous trekking, they are only halfway to the lake. They find a bat-filled cave and make camp for the night.

In Cano Verde, Team Bromance has morphed into “Team Nuts and Butts.” The five survivors lolling in a pile looks like a pride of lions.

That night, something large runs through camp. Does anyone have an idea of what it could be? The night vision camera only catches the briefest of shots, and it looks to me to be housecat-sized animal. Regardless, I’d be mega-freaked out to see any critter meander across my sleeping form.

Day 19
Over in El Bosque, Shane is still hungry. His teammates are talking trash about him when he walks up. Shane asks Alana for help fishing and she tells him that they don’t need his help. He borrows their fire starter (Why not dip a stick in their fire?) and struggles to build a fire.

Shane goes over to his teammates and asks them to work with him. The women are really mean and they’re giving him back some of the attitude that he gave to them. The conversation does not go well and Shane cries in the forest, alone. As thunder claps overhead, he prays for help, and it’s heartbreaking. He is a person who really needs to find a compassionate person who deems him worthy of love. I hope he finds Jeff and EJ, I hope that Jeff is the kind of person who could envelop Shane in a cloak of friendship.

Since Shane still has no fire, his only option to stay warm is to march in place all night long. It’s so sad.

Day 20

Naked and Afraid XL, Episode 4
EJ and Jeff, mugging for the cameras?!? Not these two, shy wallflowers. The outspoken survivalists check their map whole cameras watch.

When morning breaks, EJ and Jeff resume their hike across the savannah. And over in his camp, Shane is so chilly from his cold night hat he heads out to the savannah to get some warmth in his body. It’s a moment of kismet when EJ and Jeff see and call out to Shane. And I admit to shedding a happy tear or two. Shane’s this season’s underdog; how can you not root for him?

The season-long XLR is the survival rating of the team, which fluctuates as the teams find success and failure. In the fourth episode, the team’s scores are as follows:
The gamble to move from Roca Diablo has raised EJ and Jeff’s PSR from 7.1 to 7.6 out of 10.0
Combining forces raises Eva, Laura & Dani’s PSR 7.7 to 8.2 out of 10.0 and Luke and Chris’ PSR also rises from 7.0 to 8.2 out of 10.0
Continued dysfunction keeps Danielle, Alana & Shane’s PSR falling from 6.9 to 5.8 out of 10.0

Now that EJ and Jeff have met Shane, Shane’s attitude is much improved. His spirit is overjoyed. Shane wants to leave with EJ and Jeff. EJ and Jeff aren’t too sure they need a third. The ladies crash the men’s pool party and the drama between Shane, Alana and Danielle is palpable. And EJ and Jeff don’t do drama.

Survival Stuff
Jeff: Fishhook
Hakim: Magic ninja blade
EJ: Cooking Pot
Laura: Bow Drill kit
Eva: Pot
Dani: Mosquito net
Luke: Water Bottle
Chris: fishing kit (Lost)
Honora: Bow Drill kit (Broken)
Danielle: Fire Starter
Alana: Unknown
Shane: Metal Canteen

My thoughts after week 4 —
I like the idea of the combined team of “Team Nuts and Butts.” I think that Dani, Laura and Eva bring great resources that can help make Luke and Chris’ camp a paradise! Soon everyone’ll be doing naked yoga!

I really don’t like the way that Danielle and Alana are treating Shane. He was a weirdo towards them, but their actions are borderline vindictive. I know that editing can make even the most innocuous statements sound terrible, but the way they laugh at Shane’s misery is really mean.

EJ and Jeff were pretty ballsy to leave their camp and hike across the savanna. Had they not found Shane and his awesome water source, the walk could have proven fatal.

Does anyone know what Alana brought as her survival item?

To be continued…

Naked and Afraid XL Episode 3
Naked and Afraid XL Episode 2
Naked and Afraid XL Episode 1
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How to get on Naked and Afraid
Naked and Afraid Casting Secrets

32 Comments

  1. On the Xl series, I think it is awesome but I feel I must point out that EJ and Jeff are true team members and group helpers. For team 2 they are kinda lazy backstabbing little people. Jeff and EJ feed them and when they get a kill they keep it to themselves and then when a 3rd kill is made they come running like losers for a handout. While all the members of team 2 have lashed out and said unfair things about teammates because the have a different way of handling things. They talk behind the others back to make themselves feel better about not being able to get off their but and make it in the environment they are in. People like them are uses and bash others to feel good about themselves. If it was not for EJ and Jeff none of group 2 would ever finish this challenge. Group 2 you are self centered babies and should be ashamed of yourselves.

  2. Alana is a hateful jerk and Chris and Luke have become her followers. I never thought they would but they have forgotten everything they said in dealing with Honora. I wish E.J. and Jeff had not shared their eel with the others as they do not deserve anything. Dani J. is dealing with her issues as best she can. Shes not laying around gossiping with the others, shame shame she goes out to look for food. If she had not found Chris and Luke they would not have eaten very well. The vegetarian is next to get picked on. They need to stay at home. Don’t like her from the first time she was on the show. She was lazy then and waited for the man to take care of her. I’m so sorry E.J. and Jeff did not let her come into their group as they could have made it. They were out looking for food all the time and were not whinners. I do not like any of the remaining women. I hate that and wish there were some that would get up and do something. Boo to Alana, Chris and Luke.

  3. I am soooo disappointed in Chris and Luke. They were acting like Alana (makes me want to wash my mouth out w/soap saying her name). If Luke works in the mental therapy area…he is not very good. I couldn’t believe the behavior of the holier than thou group, chowing down on the sting ray and not offering EJ so much as a smell. If it weren’t for EJ and Jeff…they would be fodder for the wild animals. The holier than thou group need lessons in courtesy, thankfulness and cordiality toward guests. The good Dani that tapped out is better off without that vicious group.

  4. Alana is the worst. Eva and that whole trust bs, wow… And yes i think Shane and Dani absolutely hated the fact that Shane and Danni tapped out. They are two of the best at what they do.

    • Alana is a total witch. She mistreated Shane horribly. He was nothing but helpful to her and she just crapped on him. Then she turned on Dani too. Very selfish, cruel, and lazy Alana!

  5. The women, other than Dani J., acted like mean-spirited, immature, high school brats. Luck and Chris were not much better when they joined with the girls. The way Shane and Dani were treated was pathetic. They were good people attacked by a pack of losers. They may have tapped out, but they were the real winners to me. Jeff and AJ were compassionate, unlike the pack, but I wish they had taken on Dani as a member of their team when she needed.

    • I agree. If E.J. and Jeff had taken her in she would not have had to tap out. I hope they feel guilty. The others are just crap pond scum. I don’t like any of them esp. not Alana. Shes going to turn on the vegetarian next. evil woman.

  6. The two women, Elana and Danielle, were very rude and hateful to Shane. Them two were the laziest two people I’ve seen. They are smuchers, leaches, sponging off others harf work, like Shane’s. I can’t beleive he put up with them as long as he did w/o busting one upside their head. They would lay around and make fun of him while he was working his butt off. They would lay around and laugh while he was working, lazy, flat worthless and lazy. Should have been kicked off. Riding on others coatails. Give them the boot, you know where.

    • The Red head..aka (bit** moochers, EXTREMELY lazy, does not work and do anything, you two are so WORTHLESS. and the other one that said she couldn’t trust danny?? I think that’s her name that tapped out. that girl needs to be booted aslo… or maybe this show is sooo choreographed…hmmmmmm

  7. The XL show is definitely all about group dynamics, imo. This is why they all started in 3-person teams. Typically two will become best buds, and the third, regardless of whether he/she shares their survival philosophy will still feel left out. The alpha male team had no group drama since they were “musketeers”, all for 1 and 1 for all. The all women team was doomed when the lost member showed up late for the party, and the bonding was already done. Unfortunately no effort was made to solidify the team dynamics. The 2 men/1 women team tried to become unified thanks to Saint Luke, but the mental instability of the woman was too much even for divine intervention. The last group of two women/1 man had two different survival philosophies, conquer vs. outlast nature. Their biggest mistake was not discussing at the very beginning and deciding on a common survival strategy. (i apologize for not using their names, i’m just too lazy.) Park your ego with your clothes and work together. If you can’t, pulling out is almost suicidal. Better to find a compatible team and ask to join them, aka Shane (his name is easy to remember).

  8. From Dani’s Facebook page:
    Dani Beau
    July 26 at 9:02pm · Edited ·
    Comments in parenthesis are mine.

    “I need to clear some things up so people stop sending me death threats.” (Death threats? You’ve got to be kidding me)

    “So I can’t watch Naked and Afraid from where I am in Alaska, I only have limited wifi access. I logged on & have a ton of amazing feedback from some of the fans and I got a lot of death threats & negative comments at the same time.”

    “To clear some confusion up:: . They have over 1000 hours of footage to create an 8 hour television show with.”
    (Yeah, well that’s how TV works)

    “So we’re up to episode 3 right? This is what really happened:
    I had a 102 fever from days 2-6 and yet still made it through that. Theyre not highlighting this because Hakim and Honora’s tap out was more dramatic.” (Because watching someone recuperate from a fever is soooo interesting).

    “To answer all of you people telling me to kill myself because I sided with Alana and “Shane did all the work”: Shane didn’t build us a shelter. I built it with Shane on day 1. I said that Shane did not have any survival skills because that is word-for-word what he told me on day 1. He had incredible strength and will power but was not a survivalist- he’s an extreme athlete which was a great partner to have because of his endurance, determination, and integrity. I did not agree with him chopping down trees or risking his life by climbing them to get food. I was successfully getting food by making a primitive throwing stick and knocking the fruit out of the tree the safe, quick, efficient way.” (So you chopped down how many trees? Picked them out, laid them out and set them up?)

    “Alana & I were not laughing at Shane hunting. We were laughing/talking about an animal on our diary camera.” (Oh please, I record every episode as do most N&A freaks, watched your episode several times and there’s no way you two didn’t lay there and giggle like school girls over Shane’s dilemma. You were laughing at him alright and taking great glee in his misfortune. Don’t try to spin it any other way.)

    “Shane chose to do man-work all day long by chopping down trees in the beating sun in 120 degree weather while Alana and I would work in the shade during peak hours. We found drinkable water, made him primitive tools to make arrows for Shane’s bow, harvested all of the food & cooked it to make it non-toxic and edible to eat and shared this with Shane every night. I made tons of cordage for the 3 of us to set traps and was constantly working to improve the shelter incase it rained.” (Harvested what food, exactly? You’re not claiming to have made his arrows right? just the tools. If you made tones of cordage for the 3 of you to set traps why didn’t you set any traps and why didn’t you catch anything?)

    “The turtle is really the elite survivalist
    wink emoticon” (Turtles move really slow, easy to catch, easy to cook. In essence one of the perfect survival foods. And Alana didn’t allow Shane to eat it? Like she’s some kind of uber environmentalist or maybe she just wanted to jerk Shane’s chain, which is it?)

    If anyone has questions I’ll gladly answer!
    Hopefully the series gets better with showing more wilderness skills.

    “And for the record, Shane and Alana are great friends of mine and I am grateful to have them both in my life ” (with friends like you no one would need enemies.)

    • To be plain, I really liked Dani Beau from her first episode, but this time she just followed Alana’s lead on everything.

    • Alana & Danielle are despicable. Alana is very self-centered & cruel, with a total lack of compassion. Danielle, baaaa, the Sheep, is just as bad for following Cruella’s lead. I feel for Shane. These women should feel ashamed of themselves for their total lack of empathy for another human being, likeable or not, & I liked Shane for the most part. His heart was in the right place. Too bad Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum had zero appreciation for it. I’m so glad Jeff & EJ picked Shane up when he needed them most. I love these guys. I also get a kick out of Luke. Loved naked yoga. The mixed group of 5 was good. Very curious to see how they fare with their new additions. Glad Jeff & EJ have stayed their course and keep to themselves. One last pet peeve about Tweedle Dum: I appreciate that you want to ‘honor’ your vegetarianism, but this is freaking survival… Get over it or stop whining about it. Ugh, Boo to Alana & Danielle.

  9. Without question Alana is the most ignorant, disrespectful and intolerant individual I have ever seen. Karma will treat her right, I just hope I get to see it.

    • I can’t stand watching how Alana treats Shane.Danielle follows her mean character.I just want to slap Alana.I wish she wasn’t on the show.I hope she doesn’t make it.Alana is just a spoiled woman ,with no respect.

    • I agree. Alana is the worst. Shane should have torn down the shelter he single-handedly built, which Alana and Danielle are using.

  10. Alana stepped into the picture, (Shane was doing fine w. Dani),..she instantly gave vibes of not likeing Shane, because he was a man,..period.

    & Dani, seems to be bending to Alan’s will, because of same!

    Both women are DISCRACEFUL, as the objective is for all to help each other!

    I wish they were thrown OUT!

  11. Kellie,
    A different kind of comment.
    I really enjoyed the way Chris and Luke greeted and welcomed Eva, Laura and Dani J.
    Chris and Luke served them from their bounty of fruit and nuts which was gleefully and graciously accepted by the women. Later the women served minnows to Luke and Chris. They all agreed to team up and everyone would work for the team. Now that’s survival! The entire segment of these 5 was a warm and fuzzy for me.

  12. I would like for EJ and Jeff to the right thing. Knowing Shane will not succeed without a partner. Jeff will be the deciding factor. His good sprit saw Shane’s demeanor change when the witches arrived. Focusing on survival means to help other along the way. Shane is a hard worker only needs reassurance he is a good team member. The witches never helped him or attempted to. He prayed and EJ and Jeff show-up. My thoughts are on the alpha males character to help in any way. Shane will not slow them down be ungrateful he is a survivalist.

  13. Kellie,
    A friend brought over a DVD he recorded of Episode 4 so I don’t have to wait for a rerun. I am still chuckling over “Team nuts and butts.” The “yoga” was hilarious, Luke is much better than Chris. I like the team of 5 and hope they stay together with the irrepressible Luke; the self contained Laura and Chris; the competent, adaptable and just plain sweet Eva and Dani J.
    The testosterone pair of EJ (Sarge) and Jeff bother me because of the swollen ankle of Sarge. Sarge is so tough minded he will continue until an injury becomes serious. He did this in his two previous appearances. I like Sarge because he reminds me of a couple of Sergeant Majors from my Service time. Like you, I hope Sarge and Jeff take Shane into their group.
    Team dysfunction is as you perceive; mean spirited and cruel to Shane. Shane is helpless before the onslaught. It is amazing how persecutors and their accomplices blame the victim. If Alana and Dani B are foraging in the cooler mornings and evenings; as claimed by some, they aren’t sharing with Shane. Shane is a bit odd but he is a human being and is in need of kindness (not overdone).
    I enjoy your reviews and reactions as much as I enjoy the TV Show.

  14. Its hard to overstate how much I hate Alana. She is so utterly vindictive. She’s like a high school C*&k tease. She bases everything on how much men worship here and when they don’t she punishes them. left alone, the other girl would probably be ok but Alana has her convinced that breaking Shane is the right thing to do.

    • Absolutely agree she didn’t get along with her partner the first either she just sat there and made a stupid hat while the guy did everything for her until he was so exhausted he had to tap I hate her so much the other also she is a rescue met? I hope I never need a rescue then.. I wonder if this were a real scenario would they treat a survivor victim the same way?

    • I was going to write something about Alana and Danielle, but you already wrote it for me. I am boiling mad at how these two, especially Alana, have treated Shane. Shane is a good guy and should not be laughed at and ridiculed by his team mates. I pray EJ and Jeff team up with Shane, and not be manipulated by these naked women strutting into the mix. Alana is pure meanness and her focus seems entirely aimed at hurting Shane, and not survival.

  15. I think Shanes partners are treating him awful. Ok, he’s a little strange but he has tried to be nice to them. He brought them fruit and they refused it and laughed at him (the same fruit they got after he left and thought they did well); they wouldn’t eat the turtle when he was starving and he didn’t say anything about it; he did all the work on their shelter and when he tried to come back for fire and help, they rejected him. I think he has bent over backwards to try to make the team work but they have been horrible to him from the start. Talking about him and laughing behind his back…really? I wouldn’t want to be in the wilderness with those two….they are being jerks.
    Honora lost it totally- sad! I hope Jeff and AJ take on Shane because I feel sorry for him being put with two horses hind ends.

  16. I too feel for Shane. I don’t think he’s a bad dude at all. Alana seems ok, but definitely somewhat prissy and not someone I’d personally want to spend a lot of time with. Dani seems to be stuck in the middle but leaning more towards Alana’s side. She does seem like a compassionate person tho, even if she is a bit of a follower.

    • I disagree.
      Alana seems to hate men,..period, & side toward women,..thus her hating Shane!

      • I’m inclined to agree. I was trying to give her the benefit of the doubt but it’s getting increasingly more difficult at this point!

        • Gut feeling tells me that Aland was bad towards men, from the start of her existence.

          BUT, I blame Daniella(/) near as much,..cause she treated Shane just aboyut as bad.

          I wish them both hell!

  17. J.C.- Congratulations to you and your family! Enjoy your time together. Luke has become one of the best parts of this show, his positive attitude was appreciated the first time he was on Naked and Afraid and he continues to show that he is perfectly suited to his occupation as a wilderness therapist who works with emotionally challenged kids.

  18. Kellie,
    It is Monday morning here. I missed the show last night because I was busy with my new family and enjoying my new wife and step children (wonderful first wife deceased). According to your much appreciated review and impressions, I can see things are proceeding pretty much as I expected. I am still chuckling over your “nuts and butts” remark. Naked yoga??? Now that will be a sight to see as the irrepressible Chris and Luke carry on with a sense of humor. I will catch the rerun Thursday.

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