No crew, no scripted drama, no nonsense.
Just you, your gear, and the very real possibility of becoming dinner for a bear, wolverine, cougar or pack of wolves.
“Alone” is primal and no-nonsense, where the predators watching from the darkness are as real as the hunger gnawing at your gut.
It reminds me of a modern-day version of the “Dick Proenneke Videos” (only the “Alone” contestants don’t have a gun).
“Alone” will surely rank high in my list of best survival documentaries when I get to it!
Thanks to both Tim Ferriss’s 5-Bullet Friday and Lex Fridman’s podcast #437 (with”Alone” guest Jordan Jonas from Season 6!) for recommending the series.
I won’t say here whether Jordan won or not (spoiler alert: I do say so below) but he was so damn interesting on Lex’s pod that I had to check the series out.
If you don’t care about going in chronological order, my favorite is Season 6 (others (on Reddit et al) say they prefer Season 11).
I rank “Alone” #3 in my list of “Best Survival Documentaries” (I’m up to 15 of them!).
Trailer for “Alone”
Watch “Alone”
You can watch “Alone” on different streamers:
- Hulu
- History Channel
- Roku
- Hoopla (with library card)
- You can also buy episodes on Amazon, Apple TV and Microsoft.
You can find the latest streaming options at https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/alone
Ratings:
- My Rating: 93/100
- IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 82/100 (Users); na/100 (Critics)
Release Date:
My Review of “Alone”
Spoiler Alerts: I mention the winner of each season below! I did this to keep a history of it. Sorry if I ruined it for ya!
Season 1: Vancouver Island, British Columbia (All Men Cast)
Release Date: June 18, 2015
“Alone” launched with a brutal premise—ten men, no crew, just their cameras, trying to survive on Vancouver Island’s unforgiving coast. The last one standing wins $500,000.
Alan Kay lasted 56 days, using his survival skills and mental toughness to outlast the others. The island’s relentless rain, isolation, and predators broke many early.
Josh Chavez quit within 24 hours, while Lucas Miller, though ingeniously building a canoe, couldn’t handle the loneliness and tapped out.
Mitch Mitchell’s exit was memorable—fear of bears drove him to quit. The real theme of the season? The mental toll of being utterly alone.
Season 2: Vancouver Island, British Columbia (First Mixed-Gender Cast)
Release Date: April 21, 2016
Season two mixed things up with men and women contestants, but the location stayed the same—Vancouver Island’s wet, cold, and wild terrain.
David McIntyre won after 66 days. His ability to stay emotionally grounded, drawing strength from memories of his late wife, helped him endure.
Nicole Apelian became the first woman to make the final three, lasting 57 days before medical issues forced her to leave.
Randy Champagne’s clay stove, a survival innovation, was a highlight, though it wasn’t enough to keep him going. The constant rain, again, was a major enemy, with several contestants falling victim to hypothermia and psychological burnout.
Season 3: Patagonia, Argentina
Release Date: December 8, 2016
Patagonia introduced a new level of difficulty. The freezing, mountainous terrain of Argentina replaced the damp forests of Vancouver. Contestants faced brutal cold and food scarcity. The goal? Survive up to 100 days.
Zachary Fowler outlasted them all, winning after 87 days. His key to survival? Creativity—he famously built a boat out of scraps to explore further for food.
Carleigh Fairchild came close, but medical intervention ended her journey on day 86. Megan Hanacek, another standout, lasted deep into the competition thanks to her extensive environmental knowledge.
A hidden gem of the season was Dave Nessia’s intricately carved wooden puzzles, a testament to the mental strain Patagonia inflicted on everyone.
Season 4: Vancouver Island, British Columbia (Team Format)
Release Date: June 15, 2017
The fourth season introduced a new twist: pairs of survivalists. One teammate started at base camp, while the other had to trek through rough terrain to meet them. Both had to survive together.
Jim and Ted Baird, Canadian brothers, claimed victory after 75 days. Their dynamic was key—Jim’s navigation skills paired with Ted’s wilderness expertise created a powerful team.
A standout moment came when they devised a clever fish trap, a small but crucial boost to their food supply. Other teams struggled, like Pete and Sam Brockdorff, who were forced to leave after Pete sustained an injury early on.
The team dynamic added a new layer of psychological complexity to the show.
Season 5: Northern Mongolia (Return of Past Contestants)
Release Date: June 14, 2018
For the first time, past contestants returned for a second shot at victory. Mongolia’s cold, vast wilderness became their battleground.
Sam Larson, a runner-up from season one, took home the $500,000 after 60 days. His previous experience helped him adapt, especially in conserving energy and avoiding unnecessary risks.
Brooke Whipple, one of the few female returnees, impressed with her resourcefulness but tapped out earlier than expected.
One memorable moment is Dave Nessia, known for his mental struggles in Patagonia. He creates an intricate fish trap using wild materials, showing growth from his previous season.
Season 6: Great Slave Lake, Canada
Release Date: June 6, 2019
Season six introduced the harshest conditions yet—Canada’s Great Slave Lake. Contestants faced frigid temperatures, scarce food, and constant threat from predators.
Jordan Jonas emerged victorious after 77 days, becoming a fan favorite with his rugged survival skills. He not only killed a moose, providing vital protein, but also defended his camp by killing a wolverine that repeatedly tried to steal his food.
Nathan Donnelly, another standout, brought a spiritual approach to survival, showing deep respect for the land. Jonas’s hunting skills were legendary, with the moose and wolverine victories marking two of the series’ most impressive moments.
Season 7: Great Slave Lake, Canada ($500K bonus for reaching 100 days!)
Release Date: June 11, 2020
Season seven introduced a game-changing rule: $1,000,000 to the contestant who could survive 100 days. The frigid, unforgiving climate of Great Slave Lake remained the battleground.
Roland Welker became the first to complete the full 100 days, winning the million. His survival strategy was old-school tough—he built a heavy stone shelter to withstand the brutal cold and became a true woodsman figure.
Callie North was forced to leave after a dangerous predator encounter, a nail-biting moment for viewers. Roland’s ability to maintain his mental toughness, while physically thriving, was the key to his success.
The 100-day format pushed everyone to their absolute limits.
Season 8: Chilko Lake, British Columbia
Release Date: June 3, 2021
In season eight, Chilko Lake’s remote wilderness became the newest challenge. Contestants faced grizzly bears, hypothermia-inducing cold, and a food-scarce environment.
Clay Hayes won after 74 days. A skilled bowhunter, he expertly used the land to his advantage.
Biko Wright, a charismatic contestant, captivated viewers with his emotional openness, even as he pushed through injury and hunger.
Colter Barnes, though lesser-known, was a hidden star—his intricate tool-making skills and resourcefulness were impressive, though they couldn’t save him from tapping out. The harsh landscape created intense survival moments, with each contestant struggling against both the elements and their own minds.
Season 9: Labrador, Canada
Release Date: May 26, 2022
Labrador’s extreme cold and remoteness made season nine particularly challenging. Contestants were tested like never before.
Juan Pablo Quiñonez won after 78 days. His strategic thinking, including his careful crafting of fish traps, gave him an edge. Karie Lee Knoke brought a unique approach with her deep knowledge of medicinal plants, using local herbs to combat illness.
Her spiritual grounding made her a fan favorite, though she eventually had to leave. Lesser-known moments, like Karie Lee’s detailed knowledge of herbal remedies, were vital for her survival but often overlooked in the grander narrative of the season.
Season 10: Labrador, Canada (100-Day Challenge)
Release Date: June 8, 2023
Season ten revisited Labrador with the 100-day challenge in place again. The stakes? Another $1,000,000 prize, but only for those who could last the full time.
Alan Tenta became the second contestant to last 100 days, claiming the grand prize. His trap-setting and hunting skills were critical for survival, especially as food became scarce in the later days.
Adam Riley’s expertise in building shelters helped him last longer than expected, though he ultimately tapped out. Jodi Rose, though not a finalist, impressed with her intricate snow shelter, a feat of engineering in sub-zero conditions. Labrador’s cold proved to be an unforgiving adversary once again.
Season 11: Mackenzie River Delta Northern Quebec, Canada (near Inuvik, Northwest Territories)
Release Date: June 13, 2024
Season 11 is pure survival chaos.
Filmed in the Mackenzie River Delta, 120 miles north of the Arctic Circle, it’s easily the most brutal location in the show’s history. The contestants were dropped off on September 18, 2023, and faced temperatures that could plunge to -40°F. That’s not just cold. That’s “your-skin-might-fall-off” cold. But, of course, cold is just the start.
The predators were everywhere. We’re talking 5,000 grizzly bears, 4,000 wolves, plus moose, wolverines, beavers, and caribou. Imagine trying to sleep knowing a grizzly could wander into camp at any moment. One unlucky contestant watched a bear destroy their food supply.
Good luck surviving that. And then there’s the terrain. It’s a 4,700-square-mile maze of channels, lakes, and marshes. Think of it as an Arctic Everglades—beautiful but completely unforgiving.
The season kicked off on June 13, 2024, and ran for 12 episodes of sheer agony. By the end, we were down to just a few brave souls battling the cold, the dark, and their own minds.
One participant had to fend off a wolf pack. Another went days without food, barely hanging on. It’s a constant mix of starvation, predator attacks, and the slow, creeping dread of winter.
William Larkham Jr. took the crown. He outlasted everyone, winning $500,000 for his trouble. The final episode, Into the Dark, aired on August 29, 2024, and fittingly enough, by then, daylight was almost nonexistent.
The remaining survivalists were left stumbling around in pitch black, losing their grip on reality while trying to fend off wolves and frostbite. It was a fight to stay alive, let alone win.
This season is brutal, plain and simple. The cold, the predators, the isolation—it’s a whole new level of suffering. You don’t just watch these people starve and freeze. You feel it. Each episode cranks up the pressure. The Arctic wilderness is as relentless as it gets, and this group found that out the hard way. In the end, you’re left wondering how anyone could survive this madness. But somehow, one person did.
Thanks for reading!
Rob Kelly, Chief Maniac, Daily Doc