Dual Survival

The Odd Couple meets Man versus Wild. This was my favorite of all the man v. Nature shows popping up in the late 2000s and early 2010s. A middle-aged alpha male veteran and no-nonsense hippie (both of whom have extensive survival skills) must put their differences aside and learn to coexist in harsh environments. Both of these guys were a pleasure to watch, even when they were in vehement disagreement.

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 really love this show, you get to know a lot of useful information that can help you not only in a "survival" situation, but also in everyday situations (camping in the woods, hiking etc.).

What makes this show awesome, is that you don't have only one person showing you how to survive in different environments, but two experts - one, that has military training and most people can relate to (at least in his way of thinking) and second, who is a minimalist, has experience in primitive survival techniques and is walking around almost half naked (in shorts and barefoot, no matter of the environment), which most people with me along, can't / couldn't understand. With this combination you can see how each of them manages different situations, different techniques of surviving etc. and who knows, one day even someone among us could find him self in a "survival" situation half naked.

Also I really like that they don't always agree or have different views of situations and that makes them special. You can see how each of them deals with a different situation and also how they help each other.

So if you like survival shows, like Man vs. Wild with B.G., you will definitely like this show!

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.

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.