Episode 7 of History Channel’s Alone, Season 9, takes place over days 34-43. Seven contestants remain at the start of the episode.
This is a recap and review of episode 7. At the end, I’ll provide some guesses as to who will last until the end and who might successfully hunt a bear.
Spoilers to follow!
Jessie
As usual, Jessie is working on her shelter. She made a water cache system for gathering rainwater off her roof and finished filling in her walls. While her shelter (aka cottage) is impressive, I’m also not sure whether it’s a great use of time. Perhaps she realized it was getting too big but it was too late to modify it, or maybe she’s a bit of a perfectionist!
Jessie talks about how this type of living—alone and off the land—strips you down to your basic self, how when all the conveniences are gone, you can be who you truly are. She also thinks a fox is after her squirrels, so we’ll see what becomes of that next time!
Adam
Adam started his segments in a pretty great way—he heard a grouse while chopping wood and managed to snag not only it but a second one!
He talks about missing his family, but how he feels closer to them because he misses them. Shortly after, he doesn’t have time to miss them anymore, because he stumbles upon a beached chunk of an old dock! He seems like the kind of person who needs a task, so he throws himself into reusing the boards and nails to make a bench and a proper door for his cabin. He says, “old dock door, old moss house,” to which I say, “pretty sweet digs!”
Tom
We find Tim making a lamp for the inside of his shelter out of red belted conk mushroom and his headlamp. It works, though without a book to read, what’s the point, right? (speaking of which, check out my book reviews on our Youtube Channel!)
Tom has lost 44 pounds since the start of the competition, but he’s still very thankful to be there. He manages to catch a squirrel, a grouse, and finds bunch berries in one trip, which rejuvenates him a bit. Next, he cooks the squirrel in full on a spike, using the fire to remove the fur. As he does so, he explains how it’s essential to focus on the conservation aspects of hunting.
Unfortunately, Tom has some issues near the end of the episode. While finishing his shelter, he falls and slams his back pretty hard on a sharp stump. He also keeps falling, and it looks like he struggles to get up. While he has snares set for whiskeyjacks and found lichen, he needs to eat more or he might be in serious trouble.
Karie Lee
Karie Lee’s segment was a cooking class on making fruit leather! This is essentially rendered-down and squashed fruit that is ready to store when it peels off the side of the pot in thick slices.
Karie Lee also talks about her mother’s birthday and pretends to have made a birthday cake for her. She’s clearly in a good mood, which rises when she finds a fat squirrel in her snare, which she eats for dinner.
The only thing about Karie Lee that keeps her from being a top contender in my eyes is her shelter seems very open and windy, which might be hard in the winter. Then again, Karie Lee has lived out in the bush for years and years, so maybe the cold doesn’t bother her. 
Tiemojin
As a Canadian, I very much appreciated Tiemojin’s makeshift Canada flag that he hangs on his shelter!
After this show of patriotism, Tiemojin goes hunting. He misses the first two shots, but on the third, he manages to score dinner. As he cleans the carcass, he divulges memories of his childhood and segues into the topic of his mom. He explains her life when he was growing up and how she said she’d always be proud of him as long as he was happy with what he was doing. His motivation for becoming a doctor was to help her, but now he just wants to inspire her to enjoy her life. Awww, Tiemojin!
Terry
Terry starts the episode with a song that, according to the added text, took him two hours and eleven minutes to make! He also comments on his weight loss (49 pounds) and how he looks like “Flat Stanley,” despite having hunted that beaver and continuing to eat the fat for the last 13 days.
Terry’s segments involve his struggling with his lack of food. He can’t fish, he can barely walk, and he’s dizzy if he stands too fast. He begins to get stomach pains too. Perhaps well-aware of what is coming, he spends some moments contemplating his situation, claiming that “seeking comfort robs determination from the soul,” and how he loves being where he is.
As to be expected, at his standard medical check he is told he’s being extracted for medical reasons. He’s clearly heartbroken about it, apologizing for “failing,” but soon states that he doesn’t regret the actions he took and what he experienced.
All in all, a bittersweet ending for Terry and the episode!
My Assessment
Now that Terry has been kicked off the podium, I’m betting on Jessie, Adam, or Tiemojin to make it through to the final spot, based on their shelters and ability to catch food.
Juan Pablo was missing—either drinking unboiled water took him out, or we’re going to see him wearing a bear pelt next time!
The next episode airs July 14, on History Channel.
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