I Survived...

I gave "I survived" a 9 not because I find it enjoyable. I do NOT find the show enjoyable. Nevertheless it might be the most truly hard-hitting and dramatic television series of all time.

I Survived is one solid hour consisting of monologues by 3 people telling 3 different stories, about some harrowing, terrifying and near-fatal experiences that they somehow lived through. And the stories are all as different as the people who tell them - stories filled with death, carnage, torture and ultra-violence some at a level I wouldn't have believed them to be even possible. "I survived" is literal tales of life and death, raw and unfiltered, some so shocking they are the stuff of nightmares.

If you watch "I survived" you might find the show is as shocking as other reviewers say, or you might not...but you probably won't find this show boring.

For once, the (usually gratuitous) viewer warning that begins each episode is appropriate, well deserved, and probably ought to be heeded. If there were young children in my household, "I survived" is one of the very few TV shows I would definitely NOT allow them to watch.

First off, why does the camera have to be so close to their faces? These guys could stick their tongue out and lick the camera it's so close. Whoever the director is that made the decision to have these extreme close-ups should find a new calling. What do they think this will add to the show besides the audience having to stare at everyone's wrinkles, nose hairs and giant moles? NOBODY wants to watch someone's pores.

While some of the stories are riveting, there is a lot of repetition with many of them. Alot of 'girl gets kidnapped, raped, 'killed' by assailant, plays dead, escapes' and 'guy gets lost/stuck in snow, develops hypothermia, starvation, gets rescued', etc. So it feels like you're just listening to a different person tell the same story. It would be way better if they added some REAL pictures, not the generic ones they flash.

I actually prefer the show "I Shouldnt Be Alive" over this one. Yes, some of the reenactments are totally cheesy, but I found that in many cases it did add to the story. Perhaps I'm just more of a visual person, but I just found that staring at a face with a black background telling a story made it slow and boring. And you can't even just listen to this in the background or on audio because there is telling text often flashed on the screen.

I watched a segment where the crime occurred in my area. I looked up the case, and found actual pictures of the victim. The fact that they are both women, and have long curly-hair, they look nothing alike. Are actors used in place of actual parties in recounting their stories?

I love how everyone has different views after they die.

I also died when I was 18 and mine was so different. I used to question if what I saw was real but listening to everyone's stories really helped me realize what I went through was real! It was an amazing yet strange experience I went through!

I remember the pain, the confusion, and being told it wasn't my time. I remember being so afraid. I was told it was going to be extremely painful but that I had to go back. It wasn't my time yet. I also saw my Nana who passed away when I was 7. She told me she loved me but I couldn't stay. I never saw a light but I do remember the calm and love. It was just a confusing situation that I wouldn't want to miss again.

I look forward to the day I get to see my family that I've lost!

Very annoying to me is how there are often many, obvious questions that are never answered or explained.

Ex: "Family wakes up with a homicidal stranger in the house."

How did he get in ?

What, they don't have access to a gun in their house ?

Also unspoken, often the situation is a direct result of stupidity on the part of the victims, which they compound with even more stupid decisions.

Makes one wonder how indeed they survived.