Patagonia: Life on the Edge of the World

I watched this for what Patagonia is famous for - Fitzroy and Torres del Paine. Mountains, climbing, geology etc. I got none of that. It was mainly about animals and their interaction with people. Not one mountain was even mentioned by name. Also, if you don't PVR it you might have to go on suicide watch.

This is becoming a pattern with CNN films. I wrote a review of the Abraham Lincoln piece that they did last year: volume level for the soundtrack was so loud you could barely hear the narration. On Patagonia one minute the volume is too loud and the next too soft. And it's not Pedro Pascal's voice. Through an hour-long episode, I must be adjusting the volume 20 times. And I'm not counting the ones when they go to commercial - it blasts the speakers! Of course after the ad, I have to turn it up again. CNN: fire your audio engineers responsible for this incompetence! Do they even listen to the final version that's to be broadcast?

I watched these episodes on Discovery+, without commercials.

Each episode centers on a unique region or feature of Patagonia; coastline, mountains, glaciers, forests, etc. We are shown the wildlife, plants and trees, weather, and people of each region. We see the beauty, and the threats posed by global warming and human encroachment. We also see the measures being taken to save the wild places and inhabitants.

The series is beautifully filmed and edited. The narrator, Pedro Pascal, is a wonderful choice. We can savor his calm voice and perfect pronunciation of the names of places and animals. In fact, one of the best aspects of this series is that every scientist, naturalist, advocate, and citizen we meet is from or of that environment. No white saviors here.

I learned a great deal watching this documentary series, and enjoyed myself thoroughly.

I've seen a lot of people complaining that there are too many humans featured in this natural documentary. You guys are not watching the show properly. Yes, you have it right. There are humans involved. Lots. Maybe even the main focus. This is because these are stories about how humans interact with raw nature in a completely wild setting. How they live, and die, side by side. Look closer. If you want pretty shots of animals for an hour each episode there is every other Nat Doc that came before this. Fill your boots. This is bold, original storytelling.

Also, it's really damn beautiful to watch. Top job to the people that spent all those painstaking hours to create it.

Yes, it is largely about humans, but this is what makes this documentary wonderful. Our species makes a bigger part of the population of the planet and we affect the environment in the most significant and devastating ways. The role of humans in this type of documentary usually centers on how we fail at being a responsible species. While it is definitely true, it was refreshing seeing people who try to reduce the negative effects other individuals had had on the ecosystem of Patagonia. Many stories were quite inspirational, especially from people who "switched sides", like the guy who went from being a hunter to being a protector. Seeing that there are people who try very hard to help the wild nature of Patagonia stay wild gave me hope. This series was just as educational, only in a different way.