Dual Survival

These two guys are good together. You start off laughing at Cody, but then you come to respect what a bad ass he is in his own right. There are elements of humor throughout most episodes that are genuinely funny due to the unusual pairing. I've watched lots of survival shows and this one seems to have something the others are missing- an entertainment factor that doesn't require fake scenarios put in only for TV purposes. The guys provide entertainment and they really teach you how to survive along the way.

The locations are standard survival fare, but each of the guys has a different background which means one of them will usually be taking the lead and the other will be learning new tricks.

All in all, I would say this is my favorite survival show. Even my kids find it entertaining.

I'm slightly surprised to be the first reviewer for what I consider one of the better reality shows on the air, but I am glad that I caught this show by accident. Dual Survivior is basically about a military guy(Dave Canterbury)and an ex hippie who used to live in a commune(Cody Lundin)who are placed in situations where their expertise in survival is required. Dave does more of the physical stuff like hunt, while Cody, who walks barefoot mostly, uses his knowledge of the land to create current remedies for the situation at hand. It's an interesting combination of brawn vs. brains, even though Dave is also very wise when facing survival and is a great hunter. He and Cody sometimes have differing opinions on how to best gauge their predicament, but it all works out in the end. I'm normally not a fan of reality shows, but Dual Survivor works for me because of the characters and their surroundings.

This is a great show with a lot of significant information. Because of this TV show I have researched and thought about survival issues. The so-called experts that dig on this show are a joke. Of course there are cameramen shooting...it's a TV show! Did you think you can have a satellite camera overhead in the great sky above? One reviewer was upset over some bamboo in Hawaii. Really dude? How much endangered bamboo did Joe actually use? He killed a pig...great TV and something you do to survive. It isn't like there is a community inhabiting the sacred island killing pigs daily.

One clown said Matt must be gay because he was too laid back or passive. This is the attitude of ignorance we get from the tough, macho survival real men out there. A man has a sensitivity and intelligence that threatens or is different than you and you judge and condemn? Matt was brilliant and demonstrated self-control and a way to think outside of the military box. Guess what...there are many levels of intelligences! This would mean a viewer has to learn and be the very person they criticize--someone who can adapt, think, and God-forbid, have cognitive skills not possessed from how you problem-solve.

This TV show offers a great template for survival skills. You want to go deeper, than Google and research or read a book. Do you have to "overlook" a few things? Of course...so what. Producers have to edit for entertainment or there is no show. Don't blame the "actors" for the editing...it's called TV and you have about 42 minutes to tell a story per episode.

The real morons of this show are Discovery. Cody shares they did NO vetting of his background ever. The show was more concerned with personalities than skills. His mission was to present expertise in a survival experience. The show itself needs drama. For example, the premise is based on a three day survival. The need for food is not a core priority so killing animals was against the grain of Cody's mindset.

A military guy does not think that way. Discovery screwed up with Dave and Joe's credible background checks. That is on the producers of the show! Cody was by far the most skilled of them all. The show was built around his knowledge the first season until it strayed to more drama-based episodes.

All of the hosts are good, Dave blew it by skewing his background (ego issues) but was a solid character and knew his stuff--good guy who made a mistake. Joe seemed to try too hard, but was also good at what he did. If you want contrast (and all these shows do) then pairing up the naturalist (per se) with the military guy gives you this entertainment factor. But I will add, who has been on an "adventure" be it planned or unscheduled that has not had contrast of opinion to the "what" or "how"? Some might call this marriage! This show demonstrates there are different methods to solving problems and making crucial decisions and that compromise is always part of the journey to success.

My advise to the producers is to bring back Cody and Dave for a few reunion shows IF they will come back. Evidently, there was some bad blood for Cody.

I've really found this program entertaining. I'll miss Dave. But I trust the new special forces guy will be able to keep Cody alive. My analogy - Cody is like the gram-ma lost in the woods with bare feet and skirt and Dave is the guy that gets them home. If I had my choice of who to be lost in the bush with, hands down it would be Dave. I have spent much time in the bush and I am amazed at a what a master of bush-craft Dave is. Outstanding fellow. From not only building a functioning bow but also making arrows and actual arrow heads and fletchings... To rope work in rappelling off cliffs and belaying Cody down places Cody could not down climb with bare feet... To multiple ways of starting fire and transporting fire. .. Finding his directions ... making shelters and on and on!!! All the best to Dave in whatever direction he goes and really looking forward to Cody and the new special forces guy and their adventures!

I haven't given a ranking, because I have no way of judging how accurate the survival information presented is. Which is what the program is supposed to be about. But it's actually about personal conflict. (More about that later.)

As human beings have become increasingly effete (the word means weak, not effeminate), programs about "survival in the wild" have become increasingly popular. Discovery has three or four shows about "making it" in Alaska alone.

I find it "quaint" that viewers actually believe the participants are in real danger. Only in "Naked and Afraid" do they seem to run any real risk, mostly because they're dumped in areas where there's little or no fresh water or food. Accidents can occur and mistakes made, but the producers aren't stupid enough to take chances. Serious injury or death could result in embarrassing lawsuits, regardless of how cleverly written the contracts are.

The underlying purpose of these shows is to create conflict -- people arguing with each other. The survivalists aren't chosen solely for their varying perspectives on survival skills, but (as when making a fire) how much "heat" can be generated by friction between them.

This was obvious from the start. Cody Lundin and Dave Canterbury made an irritating odd couple. This viewer found Lundin especially annoying. Though obviously heterosexual, there was something unmanly -- castrato-like -- about the guy. If I were a woman, I wouldn't let him within 10m (33') of me. Canterbury probably felt the same way.

Joe Teti and Matt Graham were the opposite. It's hard to believe Graham isn't homosexual (his offer to make Teti a suede loin cloth was charmingly hilarious). Though they argued (especially about Graham's proclivity to hang out and soak up the environment), Graham was often amiable about accepting Teti's way of doing things. It was this general lack of friction (it's surprising they haven't announced their engagement!) that likely explains the short run of their partnership.

The current pair comprises Bill McConnell and Grady Powell. They're probably the closest to what the producers had in mind from the start. Powell thinks McConnell is a braggart, but forgives him when he can't start a fire in an impossibly damp environment. (How much of this is real and how much dictated by the producers isn't clear.)

Which brings me to what provoked this series review (and the Summary line). McConnell and Powell are forced to spend the night without fire in a cold, damp cave. And get this -- they sleep apart.

Who's kidding whom? Are these guys so homophobic they won't lie together to keep warm? Or are the producers afraid of offending viewers?

Cowboys spread their bed rolls right next to each other. (Wanna see a photo?) It was mostly to conserve heat, as cloudless nights on the plain got very cold.

If you're trying to show people how to avoid freezing to death, you don't reject the simplest and most-obvious solution.