Alaska: The Last Frontier

Everytime someone says " homestead " take a drink. Every time something endangers their most cherished anything or their precious food supply , take a shot.

Do not mix these up. I think they get paid to say " homestead" three or more times per minute

How many "cattle drives" and "hunting and fishing for survival" can Discovery milk from this show? I used to love this show due to the family dynamic. I loved the way the relationships between the Kilchers were not always flowery but that human emotions would erupt and then the family would work it out. But now it is just hard to watch the same themes play out every season. I think the biggest put-off for me is the narrating. I dislike the way that moments are made up to be more dramatic than they actually are (e.g., hunting for survival, the flare and how much "danger" the girls were in, the fake predator threats, etc). I do like Eivan's projects. I do like the Christmas gift making and giving. I like the idea of the homesteading lifestyle but don't act like these people don't have cell phones, a grocery store isn't nearby, other people don't live nearby, and please don't think your audience is a bunch of idiots (if you are filming someone, they are not in real danger because there is a cameraman right there with a communication device and don't forget about the rules and regulations about filming safety). Don't Bear Grylls me again Discovery.

Go to google earth and look up Kilcher road, Homer. Ak. You can then spot their houses. There is even a Kilcher tour on trip adviser They are less than an hour away from a safeway and Homer, Ak. a popular tourist town. They are rural, yes, but not at all cut off from the outside world. Maybe the grandfather was a pioneer but these people are not Their neighbors post this about them all the time if you bother to go look. I think that Life below Zero shows people who are really out on the edge. I first saw Sue Akins on Sarah Palins Alaska. Sha was introduced there as having The farthest out hunting camp of all and upper class alaskans knew about the place It was actually Sarah Palin who started the whole Alaske reality show craze. She was out to publicize Alaska and she did it. The Tanina river and the Brooks range are also pretty far out places so that show is more interesting. it all comes down to asking if you can put yourself it their place. Do you see yourself surviving independently out in the Alaskan wilderness? Good. Then you are hooked. I think i will limit it to taking a cruise to Alaska.

I enjoy watching this show sometimes. At other times it drives me crazy. Year after year after year they have problems with their new calves getting mauled or frozen to death. They are penned up in a tiny pen with three feet of mud and cow poop in the spring and 4-5 feet of snow in the winter. These people have A LOT of money. Why in heaven't name don't they BUILD A BARN to put the cows and calves in and keep them safe until spring. It's NOT good for cows to stomp around in a mud pit. Those poor cows! Charlotte goes on and on about how much she loves animals. WHY DON'T YOU BUILD A BARN??? The men spend their time building cabins they aren't going to live in, so they have the time. Geez, if you can't bring yourself to do it for the animals, HIRE SOMEONE!

I actually watch this show because I am entertained by it and the family characters are amusing.

But, let's face it, the show is contrived and staged.

Every week, we are treated to the next "Gotta get this done before winter" emergency fulfilled with an old "insert recycled item here" Example: Using an old semi flatbed to make a cow feeding station. After using a 100K bulldozer to move the bed, we will use commercial lumber that mysteriously appears to make the paddocks. Along with acetylene torches and various other power tools. Where do they get the tanks of acetylene? I guess they take the family barge to town?! But wait, why didn't they just BUY a feeding station? After all, they are multi-millionaires?