Recap: Naked and Afraid XL Reunion: “Dirty Dozen Return”

55 Comments

1. missed the reunion show! will it air again?

   • You didn’t really miss anything. Everyone is just as you remember them.

2. Interesting that I find myself levelling the harshest criticism at Kristi Russell, the casting director for N&A X. Specifically, for including Honora Bowen. This was a ticking time bomb inserted into the mix. I find it impossible tht Ms. Russell did not know this. So: To Ms. Russell, a questions and a simple yes or no is all that’s required, did you include Honora, fully expecting and hoping for extreme drama to play out? Of ALL the contestants, Honor was the only one with deeply pathological issues of paranoa, the cult of the victim, and that last refuge of the scoundrel, to paraphrase Thomas Paine, “you did all this to me because I’m a woman.” To the folks who belitte Jeff’s spear accuracy: YOU try what he did. He furnished 120 pounds of meat in 11 days. All in all, I loved every minute of it. Even if it did remind me of Lord of the Flies.

   • She knew and she did it for exactly the reasons you surmise. They were taking a chance the girl would completely melt down which is exactly what they wanted and why they refused her the medications she needed to appear normal. This is how bad it was:
     http://emptylighthouse.com/interview-honora-bowen-naked-and-afraid-xl-talks-supplements-conflict-more-1878557476

3. It is interesting reading all the different perceptions of this show. My perception was I realized by the second episode that this-40 day effort was put together in the “finest” reality show fashion. It was all about drama, forget about survivor skills.

   Drama 1 – Why else would Honora Bowen be one of the participants? The advertisements stated all the participants were survivors of the 21-day effort. Honora was charted out unconscious during her episode as she did everything wrong and made every survivalist cringe at her stupidity. Luke and Chris knew about her previous attempt and were anxious about having her as a partner. Who wouldn’t? She was doomed from the beginning.

   Drama 2 – Danielle, Alana and Shane — you are naked, miles from civilization, and your male partner (who currently outweighs you by about 40 lbs) has just told you that he read his psych file when he was younger and he is borderline from a serial killer. I recall in the other N&A series that the camera crew did not stay at night. Not sure if that is the case with XL but being alone with someone who has a knife and maybe borderline anything would make me want to be as far away from that person as possible. I would also not be inclined to be nice. Shane show himself in the foot with that statement.

   Drama 3 – Dani Julien, she spends 4 days finding her “team” and shows wonderfully how to live alone. She has some very strong skills. However, whether it was due to editing or her need to be off by herself, she set herself apart and paid the price. In case no one has noticed, human beings are vicious to outsiders or those who are different .

   Unfortunately, this reality series, like all the others, has succumbed to the drama (Christians and lions). If there is no blood, no one will watch so the producers had to make it interesting. It was a good concept while it lasted. I would really love to see what ended up on the editing room floor.

   • Carol-I like the way you think! I think a lot of the groupings to create drama, and while I think a lot of what would have ended up on the cutting room floor would have been exceedingly boring, I would have loved to watch some of the high-drama moments without editing.

   • Them three girls how ostracized Shane and the other ladies are awfull it was like watching the movie mean girls I hope they take a look at them selfs, awfull not one person but two people to be treated like that. Should be ashamed of them selfs.

   • You have overlooked the biggest “drama Queen” of all and that is little Jeff. Everything this boy did was for the camera from his screaming to his constant bragging about himself. I noticed several posts about him “saving” the six. These are idiots bowing down to this arrogant, narcissistic jerk who is out for himself and not “sharing” with anyone. Now he is trying to sell his autographed picture on the internet for $14.95 three for $24.95.

4. Wow,,,I watched this show and have to agree 100% with most of the others about the ‘group of six’. They expected the two guys to feed them all the time. When they caught the sting ray, they weren’t going to offer EJ and Jeff anything!!! Guarded their catch and would barely make eye contact. But, let EJ or Jeff catch something significant, they came running with their mouths open. And they had the gall to be insulted when the two men didn’t share the sting ray a day before extraction??!!!??!!! And they were upset that the two fellas didn’t want them around on extraction?? So what?? They didn’t want to do with them,,,what was the big deal?
   Alana and Danielle,,,so lazy!!!! And mean!!! And smug about themselves!!! And backstabbers!!!! How do they live with themselves?? Wow!!!
   And Eva,,,she sure liked to talk all the time. Who made her the expert so much?? And her apology to Dani was so fake.
   The group of six reminded me of junior high kids and their petty ways and judgmental attitudes. Always had some comment about others in a negative way (i.e. – Dani)
   Chris was a blow hard,,,although I did agree with his ways about Honora. She was a fruit-cake. And Luke was suppose to be some type of counselor?? At the end,,he just went ahead of the other back-stabbers after Dani.
   EJ and Jeff should have looked for water at the first before their third had to give up. Were they incompetent at this point??
   Horray for Dani and Shane. Real people with real, sincere thoughts!!!

   • wow couldn’t agree more with what Mike said! I found myself yelling at the tv over and over when it came to EJ and Jeff sharing their food, there seemed to be little question with what the “right” thing to do was, but what surprised me most was Chris’s attitude as he told the group that it was Jeff’s kill and assumed they wouldn’t share, without any qualms of what he did the previous day with the stingray! I lost some respect for him and Luke that day and although some of the other members were perfectly capable, I have my doubts about Alana and Danielle, not to mention that they were both just bitches to Shane who more than proved himself capable and willing to work in a group setting and to be tough as nails!
     I cant even comment on Honora, after the rude comments she made to her previous partner, I was again sickened by her behavior, but just as disappointed in how Dani was treated. Did anyone consider that being alone for periods of time were her way of coping with the survival conditions?
     Bottom line if I were ever in a situation where I needed to survive put me with EJ, Shane and Jeff and Dani!!

     • Loretta, Are you from Texas? Richard

   • I totally agree

5. Chris, Alana and veggie Dani are disgusting people. Luke was a huge disappointment. I thought he would be a better person. His apology to Dani was the weakest non apology I’ve ever heard. I wish Shane, Honora and Dani had told them to kiss their butts. At least most of the viewers seem to have seen through their phoniness.

   • I agree, very well put, succinct and accurate.

6. Participants I liked more than their last N&A stint: Shane, Hakim (nothing like a gay black guy to spice up the team) and surprisingly, Honora. Too bad Hakim didn’t push Jeff and E.J. to get water first, would have solved a lot for all of them, some “Ninja” but overall nice guy, too nice. But, the two morons had to go and over exert to build a shelter, not thinking a bit about water, and then didn’t have water for Hakim or themselves. Talk about poor survival instincts in a extremely hot climate. I guess they never taught E.J. anything in survival school about hydration. Honora, the female equivalent to Shane, only a bit more emotionally crippled, but not inherently a bad person (unlike AlanaBitch). If she hadn’t have been just hammered by Chris, backed up by Luke she could have changed for the better. They weren’t going to let her be “with” them from day one.
   Participants I liked on the previous episodes of N&A and liked even more this time: Dani Julian, that’s it, just Dani. What a wonderfully classy, sweet and intelligent young lady all the way. There were others but they didn’t make it into N&A XL.
   Participants I didn’t like on their previous N&A and who proved to be just absolutely miserable human beings: Jeff, Chris, Luke, Alana. I don’t need to comment on Alana, everyone appears to have her number. Jeff, loudmouthed, immature, egotistical, screamer. Luke, please, a “wilderness counselor?” Maybe if you count talking to trees and grass but helping his team mates? nope, exhibited no survival skills and zero counseling ability, deer in the headlights, stoned to the bone. Chris, again, like Alana everyone seems to have his number, I’ll add what an ‘F’ing jerk and as a former Marine myself (Vietnam) he’s a miserable failure and a very poor example of how Marines really operate.
   Participants I previously liked but who I feel failed miserably as persons: Laura, Danielle Beau. and sadly E.J. E.J. did pretty much nothing this time, no hunting, no fishing. He didn’t stand up to any of the bullies and lamely gives the excuse that “He didn’t know”. Plus he proved he’s no leader and no survival expert but he’s pretty good at making flotation devices. Dani B, wow what a loser and again another counselor? Wilderness EMT? Jesus, the woman has no survival skills, didn’t help anyone do anything, whined, complained and then back stabbed Shane and Dani J. Dani Julian put her to shame in the EMT department and as a human. Go away, Dani B., don’t come back. Another bitch, a backstabbing, whineyass, bitch.
   I think that covers all of them.

   • I am not sure why you are continuing to try to infantilize Hakim, who was part of the alpha team, joined in its decision-making, and was simply the one unfortunate enough to suffer from serious dehydration before they found a water source. They should have focused on water first, before building the shelter, but it was a group decision and Hakim simply had some bad luck as compared to the other members of the group.

     We have previously discussed your claims about Honora. You want to ignore her abusive and self-destructive conduct in favor of a fantasy, inconsistent with anything we saw on the screen, and make others responsible for her (second) failure? Great — you’re entitled to your fantasies.

     • Hakim, big, muscle-bound, Ninja warrior, couldn’t make he known he was desperately in need of water. Then he couldn’t just say “Hey, I really need water, I’m going to find water, you two go ahead and build the shelter”. That’s pretty inconsistent with the “Ninja” creed, pretty weak and, ok, infantile if you like. He couldn’t jar his two dimbulb partners out of their “must build shelter” stupor in order to get hydrated. It wasn’t a group decision, Hakim just went along. You’d have thought that all of E.J.’s supposed Military survival training would have given him the checklist of what to do first in that environment but I digress. Honora? We’re talking about an emotionally injured person who needed support from the first day. What did her team mates do for her? They intentionally treated her with disrespect. They were trying to get her off their team from the minute they laid eyes on her. Both men were guilty of causing her intentional distress. Both of them should be ashamed. She’s a wackjob alright but she deserved to be treated as a member of the team and not be dismissed out of hand. It was cruel and mean, sorry you don’t see it that way but that’s on you.

       • Your ability to confabulate is astonishing.

         I criticized you for infantilizing Hakim. Your response is to infantilize Hakim. What is it about Hakim that makes you imagine him to be operating at the level of a child, unable to contribute in any meaningful way to the decisions made by the participants you are willing to regard as grown-ups?

         As for Honora, no, sorry, she didn’t have to behave like a “wackjob.” Choices have consequences, and her choices to behave badly and to sabotage her teammates had consequences.

7. Now I know if caught out in wilderness I want Jeff, E.J., Shane, or Dani to help me, and NONE of the others. Alana and Eva were such bullies, and Chris was very smug and arrogant, that it doesn’t matter what their skills are, or aren’t-I wouldn’t want to be around them! Of everyone on the show, I think Dani came out with absolutely the most class, and likeability factor, with Shane a very close 2nd. How dare those meanies treat either of them that way. And so what if Jeff and E.J. were macho and into it, they never HURT anyone emotionally, and even lent emotional support to Shane and Dani, and for that, I give them tremendous credit. Congratulations to Jeff, E.J., Shane and Dani. They are the ones who “won”. LOVE THIS SERIES!!

8. Alana…. wicked bitch! horrible person!

9. After watching this whole xl series I would not want to spend any time with any of this pack of losers except Dani L, Shane, and Hakim. They had the very good sense to get out knowing the truth about the others. This whole series is a farce. “Survival” Bull Sh_t. There is a camera team with them all the time as well as a medical team. Clip even shows ‘survivors’ helping crew across a log. I do not see these people enduring any more than a movie crew would go through in a similar setting. Indeed when Shane is being evacuated the truck is on a road running parallel to the grove of trees along the creek they are camping at. Why didn’t they follow this road instead of walking through the tall grass? Because they are being directed every step of the way. If this was to really be a true test of endurance and survival then any time someone needed medical attention they would be tapped out, as when Eva cuts her finger and has to have stitches. I am sure this is going to happen in a real survival situation.

   When you go back and re-watch the series you see clearly that Alana and Dani Bitch did absolutely nothing to contribute to the food source or any other task that needed to be done. Indeed there was not that much disharmony in the group until Alana and Dani B stirred the pot. Alana is truly the “wicked witch(bitch) from the north” and Dani is her little servant. At the reunion Dani appears to be stoned on something.

   • While I’m not going to argue that the producers don’t shape the outcome in various ways, or set arbitrary rules to increase the drama… the nakedness and the tool limitation being in-your-face examples… I’m not able to find the road you believe the contestants should have followed from one area to another. Could you help me out?

     https://goo.gl/ZJspwg

     The producers want the contestants to succeed, as “everybody fails” would make for a boring show — so occasionally they’ll attend to the urgent medical needs of a contestant to try to keep the contestant in the game. On more than one occasion, contestants on past episodes have ‘found’ a needed item, such as a pot for boiling water, and I have wondered if they were really that lucky or if the producers helped them out (perhaps even without their knowledge).

     You’re correct that in a “true” survival situation there is no EMT around to suture a cut, but this is reality TV and there is always an EMT within range to respond to an emergency. However, if you believe that the contestants go through no more stress than a typical movie crew you must be watching a different show.

10. What is amazing to me is how people keep praising Jeff. This guy may have killed the most food(more than likely with production help) but he is most definitely the most obnoxious boy and girl on the show. He is so full of himself it is a wonder he can even walk. He claims credit for everything when he has contributed nothing. I watched the casting tape he provided and I am at a lose as to why Discovery Channel even selected him, especially after his total disaster on Madagascar. He showed no survival skills in his tape. Everything was brag, brag, brag without any “walk the talk”. It would be more comfortable to spend 40 days in hell than have to be around Jeff and his little boy behavior for a week.

    • I agree entirely, except for the help from the production crew. It doesn’t take much in the way of hunting skills to stab a slow moving, blind, 8 foot long eel. It’s also no big deal to stab a freshwater ray, they just kind of sit there and when they move, though they can move fast, they typically move pretty slow. All it takes is patience, something the “team” of 6 (I use the term “team” very loosely) doesn’t seem to have much of except for laying about. I didn’t think much of Jeff the first time around and his yelling every time he killed something, saw something, or went somewhere was unimpressive as well.

      • I can’t wait to see the YouTube video highlighting your impressive feats and abilities. Please post a link.

        • Sometimes, if your paying attention, you don’t really need to go through the experience to understand what’s happening or how to do something. But, I’m starting to get the feeling that you’d likely be the one that has to put their hand on a hot stove after being told it was hot in order to ‘know’ that it was hot.

          • KenO, The Clear Thinking process you used has a name(s). It is transitive inference, class distinction and categorization. These skills are acquired by most somewhere around the age of 5. In other words you do not need to experience everything yourself to put 2 and 2 together. Ignore the petty insults. Incidentally, thanks for your Service (Vietnam with me). Go Army! Go Marines!

          • A personal attack from KenO, and an odd ramble from J.C. — no surprises there.

            Yes, KenO, I get that you think you can learn everything about life by sitting in front of your TV and watching what other people do. That was my point.

11. Kudos to DanI and Shane. I feel You both were bullied.

    Had Shane not set up Danielle and Alana, they would have tapped out without his help. He should.have made them moved. He built the shelter. He was kind and it showed that he attempted to make amense. While Danielle and Alana never once apologized for thier lazy selfishness. Also why talk down on people unless you are intimidated but their abilities. Danielle’s excuse for dissing Shane she says was because he told her he had limited skills? Yet Nothing in three show showed her contribute to anything. Hmm. . .
    Alana was a bully bottoming as well. She even infected the larger group by talking horribly about Dani but I think the comments were a reflection of her own personality and trying to reflect attention to someone else’s non perfections So they would not catch on to her lack of contribution.

    The group of six made a big deal about Ej and Jeffs hesitation to share but How come everyone shut up about the fact that they never shared their kills with Ej and Jeff? Ej and Jeff had Nothing to apologize for. The six did. But their selfishness can’t.

    Congratulations to Shane, ej, Jeff, and Dani.

    • Pretty spot on Maria.

    • Dani J. and Shane both made diary entries admitting that their personalities could at times be difficult, and Shane reiterated that point during the reunion show. Some of Shane’s quirks were apparent on the show… they’re not really the quirks for which I have a low tolerance. He was willing, perhaps the word is “eager”, to work hard and prove his value to the group, and when he was with a like-minded group by all appearances his personality issues became either a background issue or a non-issue.

      I don’t know that Alana and Dani B. would necessarily have failed without Shane’s help, but they would have had a cold, miserable night along with Shane had they not been able to huddle, dry under a shelter that they could/would not have constructed on their own. I’m skeptical that Alana didn’t know Shane’s feelings during the contest, as she and Dani were able to hear Shane’s conversation with E.J. and Jeff when they stumbled across Shane’s campsite — it seems to me that they would have also been able to hear Shane’s narration to his diary camera. In fairness, sometimes you can tell people are talking without being able to discern what they are saying.

      Other than Dani J’s need for solitude, I didn’t see anything on the show that would explain the group’s treatment of her. The best guess I can make (which could be dead wrong) is that the group suspected that she was finding food during her treks and not sharing it with the group — if that were the case, it might help explain the level of resentment. It would also help explain why the low levels of contribution by the other members didn’t spark the same sort of resentment, as if you’re unsuccessfully hunting with the group everybody can see that you’re not hoarding or withholding food. Beyond that, I’m at something of a loss as to what the source of the conflict might have been and, beyond the minimal information revealed in the reunion show, the contestants aren’t talking.

12. Kudos to Jeff and EJ! Their positive and supportive words to the people around them and for standing their ground the way they wanted to finish to finish their race. Shane may have come across the wrong way @ times but he changed and proved he had what it took to b able to work with others. Too bad he didn’t kill the turtle. Although he was tryin to win favor wth his partners, they could’ve cared less and he did so at his own expense consequently causing him to tap out. And good for dani calling her teammates out lastnight. Some apologized and was the right thing to do!

    • Eva apologized and Alana gave Shane a hug because they both saw how bad they came across (and rightly so) on camera. They didn’t do it because they were actually sympathetic or apologetic , they did it in a further attempt to make themselves “look” better, it failed.

13. I agree with the rest of comments keep posting so those lazy ones that thought they were better boo on tem

14. Well I love the show deffently continue with the XL so ej and Jeff are the true winners when ej came up and they were eating stingray and that bitch that said they were not sharing they sure took that ell. The ones in the group of several were the greediest selfish people I have ever seen I if knew them could never look at them again they downed Danny when she got up everyday and hunted when the others layed around waiting on someone to throw them the bone I feel ever girl beside Danny were cruel self absorbed women they put down on people like Shan but layed around while he got fire wood the ej and Jeff they hunted everyday. While the others layed around like they were on a pick nick I feel they should not receive nothing I hope they never get the chance to come back on the show due to the bitterness cruelness they showed to Danny and Shan then they did not even give ej a taste of sting ray but Jeff catches a eel and they come running like they deserve something when they did not deserve nothing due to there selfish ways and on the show when they all came together after the survival of XL the way the two talked about the others they were the worst on the show and they deffently need to brush there hair they are ugly inside and out. The number ones are Shan ej and jeffthe others are far from winners they are leaches rude and inappropriate people I will not even refer to them as being women. They are far from that. So harsh for Shan Jeff and ej 10 plus the rest minus 0. I post everyday in hope that they know what the public thinks of them leaches with no values. And then talking like they did on the return show they are all loosers except Danny ej Shan and jeff

    • Agreed!!!!

    • Thanks Tonya, you said it like it is.

15. Anyone know the brand of shoes Jeff has on ????? They are fab….. Barefoot to bad*ss

16. Kellie,
    Thank you for your reviews of the Reunion episode and the other 8 Episodes. Your review of the Reunion was pointed and expressed my thoughts and feelings exactly. The “gang of six” weasel worded their way through the Reunion. Dani J. was the only surprise when she called out the “gang of six.” I was also surprised that besides being very sweet; when cleaned up, Dani J is gorgeous!

    • Also looking back over Dani J.’s remarks and her class on the reunion she’s a very intelligent and perceptive young lady, neck and shoulders above any of the other women on the show. Notice how Laura kept her mouth shut, probably the best survival skills of the lot and one of the worst females of the bunch.

    • Ken-I thought Dani J looked amazing as well! I was just rereading my recap from Dani’s first Naked and Afraid experience ( http://bit.ly/1xDVDKZ) to see if she was the survivalist who said she’d rather be alone as a possible explanation as to why she thirsted for privacy, but she wasn’t. But she was put with a guy who was of a similar 19th Century mindset as Chris and she was able to handle him quite well. But I bet it’s easier to deal with one jerk as opposed to a six-pack of them.

      • It seems the jerks have a way of getting more and more jerky when they’re in a group. Personally, I would put Dani Julian up as the best person on the show. And yes, the guy she was paired with on her 21 day episode was a real redneck who had no clue how to deal with anything. His misogyny clogged his thought pattern at every turn.

17. Think about it. Any person willing to appear naked on TV is an exhibitionist with serious mental defects.

    They are ALL a pack of losers.

    Only thing worse is you pathetic creeps who watch this show and give it any support,

    • The show presents any number of interesting psychological phenomena, just like the Internet. It’s interesting to see who chooses to participate in the show, how they get alone, where and why fault lines form, etc.

      It’s also interesting to watch comment threads, where you’ll sometimes find people who watch the show stop by to both pretend that they don’t, and to suggest that they are better than everybody else. What sort of person do you suppose would do that? What makes them tick?

18. Danielle said horrible things about Dani and Shane and kept her conceited smug face through the entire show. She is terrible person who did nothing on the show and had nothing to offer (except the vegetarian thing). A complete waste of space.

    • ITA plus Dani is a little porker now. How does a vegetarian get that obese eating veggies? Alana and Dani are nasty inside and out. Chris is a pig and, although I am not a violent person, I would love to slap that sneer off his face. The hangers on in the big group are a huge blight on humanity. Glad EJ, Jeff , Shane and Dani J. came out on top with the viewers.

      • heimssey, unfortunately vegetarians eat a lot of what makes you fat: rice, potatoes, pasta, bread, all starches. But, you’re right, Alana and Danielle are nasty inside and out.

      • Alana seen herself pretty clear as well as the rest of the viewers. Poison to others as well as herself and revealed. Dani J beauty to the bone also revealed. Eva could of stood up at the opportunity that was given her to Save Dani. Ej, Jeff and Shane were the best survivors. Together they could have subdued Shanes driving ambition for better use.

    • The whole time I watched, I kept thinking she had the worst (or best) resting bitch face I’d ever seen.

    • I agree. I wanted to slap that smurk off her face.

19. This not something that black people do, and the only one on the show tapped out the first week

    • Could you clarify the point you’re trying to make, because what you said can be taken a number of ways, some of which reflect pretty poorly on you.

20. Wow, Some of the survivalists got to see themselves for who & what they were: mainly Eva, Alana, & Chris.

    Sorry folks, but you were lacking in the compassion department, with Dani & Luke not far behind.

    Here’s the reality of your shows. Your characters were on display, and you’re not very nice people.

    • I was referring to Danielle the hippy, not Dani that was shunned by the clique (in true high school fashion).

      • We got it Milton, and you are 100% right. “Your characters were on display, and you’re not very nice people.” Wow, perfect.

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