Oddly enough, despite its six seasons on the air, "Land of the Maori" felt like a 101 episode. By 101, I refer to those basic freshmen college courses they're required to take. Bear returned to the basics by stressing the importance of fire, shelter and a healthy mental frame-of-mind. The 101 tag's not a criticism, just an observation. Onto the highlights:
--Bear rode a speed boat into the land of the Maori. Bear didn't drive the boat blind-folded or attach an explosive device that would detonate just as he jumped from the boat. Someone else steered as Bear surveyed the land around him. Through his narration we learned that the Maori needed to give Bear their blessing before he and his crew filmed the episode. Each year, for several months, thousands travel to the land of the Maori for vacation. Bear wanted to show future tourists how to survive in the land should something go wrong during a hike.
--In the north of New Zealand, one must always follow a north-south route because that route inevitably leads one towards some kind of habitation. Bear taught the viewers a nifty trick to use for navigation on an overcast day. Bear used a knife and a twig to locate the largest shadow on the knife. The trick told Bear where the sun was and prevented him from walking many miles in the wrong direction under the false pretense that he's going north or south. Would I remember this if I became lost in the wild?
--Bear can't escape raging rivers. Immediately, he came upon a raging river. The river's too dangerous to cross, as always. He'd risk a catastrophic end if any attempt to manually cross the river. Luckily, a fallen tree created a make-shift bridge. Last week, in Utah, Bear crossed a river using bark. In both instances, the tree looked dangerously vulnerable. The New Zealand tree looked especially dangerous. The wood was damp, slippery and possibly rotten enough to crack under the weight of Bear Grylls. Slow and steady, Bear moved across the trunk of the tree. The water raged beneath him. The air bubbles and moisture affected Bear's movement. He reached the other side, though, and warned the viewer to be wary of tree trunks suspended over water because each successful trek becomes meaningless when the survivor guesses wrong and plummets into the raging waters below.
--Bear scales Mordor next. Actually, it's only an active volcano. Mordor doesn't actually exist. Of course, Peter Jackson shot Lord of the Rings films in New Zealand. I own two extended editions but I do not recall what part of the country Jackson shot in. PJ definitely did not shoot in this locale though. The mountains aren't vast enough. They are dangerous. Bear's in search of water because the high altitude and his intense exertion have drained the moisture from his body. Each descent's dangerous because of the crumbling mountain. If he descended, he'd be asking for a rock or boulder to the head. Bear finds a safe route to a stream. The smell of sulfur stings his nostrils. The water's been tainted by the active volcano, giving the h2o an acidic quality. Bear exerted energy on a task that ended fruitlessly. Disappointment during survival could crush the spirits of the survivor, so Bear suggests the survivor forget about the disappointment, move on and find another solution.
--Along the way, Bear caught two crayfish. Following his disappointment at the stream, Bear ventured into the part of the volcano where the hot springs reside. The steam from the water reduced visibility by a good bit. Bear went into detail about the effects of the hot water on the body--how agonizing the death would be, how a burnt foot would blister, fester and result in death. After he finished describing the agony of the hot spring, he cooked his crayfish alive. The crayfish's fate's no different from the fate of lobsters who've gotten publicity for the cruel way people kill them for pleasure. I'm not about to curse Bear for boiling the crayfish because survival's not sentimental. However, I felt bad for the crayfish. No living creature should be burned to death. Later, Bear caught an eel and I felt sadness when the eel horrifically screamed. Again, nature's not kind nor sentimental. I just felt sad for the water creatures tonight. That's all.
--Bear's camp was luxurious. He had a roof, moss for bedding, old man's beard for tinder, crayfish and eel for food, and water for hydration. He used a broken cell-phone to light the fire. I wondered if Bear wanted to leave because he moved like a snail. Bear works fast. He eats, sleeps, leaves. The editing, no doubt, provided the illusion that Bear went Les Stroud at the camp. But, you know, if he did, I don't care. He was in a beautiful location and the dude deserves to slow down once in awhile.
--Like last week, Bear had a dangerous descent. This time, he descended a waterfall. Bear couldn't jump into the water because of the height. He used a vine to climb down. The descent wasn't easy but Bear successfully descended without issue. He always does. Soon, he was near civilization and rescue, as always.
Next week is an episode about the camera crew. There have been episodes about the crew, including one from last year that I wrote about. I probably won't write about the behind-the-scenes look at the crew unless the episode stands out from the one I wrote about in 2010.
THE YOUTUBE CLIP OF THE WEEK
No comments:
Post a Comment