Naked and Afraid XL (2015) s01e01 Episode Script
Welcome to the Jungle
1
Woman: I'm at the mercy
of mother nature right now.
That can be scary.
[ Sniffles ]
I know there are other
people out here somewhere.
I want food.
Narrator: The Everest
of survival challenges
[ Screaming ]
is back Aah!
bigger Whatever
we find, we're killing it.
-Yeah!
-Tougher [ Growls ]
[ Roars ]
[ Man screams ]
and more extreme than ever.
Look at the size.
I'd be lying if I say
I wasn't concerned.
Man: Get back. Get back.
[ Screeches ]
12 elite survivalists
will embark on the
fight of their lives.
Just the worst possible
day you could do this.
Narrator: These six
men and six women
have already
proven their skills
-[ Grunts ]
-Surviving Naked and Afraid
for 21 days in the
harshest places on earth.
-Yeah, buddy.
-Yeah, baby!
[ Thunder rumbles ]
Narrator: Now
In one of the most
demanding physical challanges
ever conceived My
body is just breaking down.
-Aah!
-Aah!
they will have to try
to stay alive [ Grunts ]
for 40 days and 40
nights She just passed out.
with no food [Bleep]
That was a good meal.
no water Please, lord.
and no clothes.
I'm getting eaten alive by ants.
Narrator: Not only will they
have to survive, but thrive.
I don't think I can do it.
Narrator: Their Nemesis --
the badlands of Colombia,
where resources are scarce,
the predators are deadly,
and the temperatures are brutal.
[Bleep] Calves and my
arms are, like, cramping.
Now we reveal unique insights
into the challenge
of a lifetime.
I no longer feel
safe around Chris.
Narrator: With special
sneak previews,
we take an in-depth
look at the survivalists.
He's not stable.
We have about a day or
two before I start snapping.
-How they prepared
-[Bleep]
and why they want to
attempt the impossible
-So [bleep] hot out today.
-[ Sighs ]
Narrator: In the deadly
wilderness of Colombia.
"Naked and Afraid XL."
Yeah! We're
eating tonight, baby!
Man: They said it couldn't
be done in Colombia!
Sometimes I definitely think
I'm crazy for coming out here.
40 days is a long time.
And you're like,
"okay, I did 21 before.
Now we're doubling that."
Narrator: These survivalists
are heading through
Colombia's vast
Orinoco river basin
to different insertion points,
where they will start
their 40-day challenge.
Eva: I think in 40 days,
I'm gonna find
something in myself
that I never knew I had before.
Narrator: This violent landscape
marked by treacherous swamps,
dense jungles, and
sweltering savannas
is dominated by
swarms of biting insects,
the world's largest variety
of venomous snakes,
and apex predators
that lurk in the shadows.
For the next 40 days,
this hellhole is going to
provide the ultimate test
for these veterans
of "Naked and Afraid."
The 40-day challenge is
past the maximum point
of what a human body can handle.
People start to die
after three weeks.
And it's harsh. It's
not gonna be easy.
It's gonna be the hardest
thing that I ever do in my life.
I'm a proud guy.
I'm competitive.
And I just want
to see what I got.
Narrator: Instead of pairing up
with a partner of the opposite sex,
as they did in
"Naked and Afraid,"
these survivalists will
form groups of threes,
so they will have to tame
complex social dynamics
as well as the
hostile wilderness.
[ Voice breaking ] I'm
feeling very attacked.
You've been
bitching for an hour!
It's the other --
the human element
that makes me most
nervous right now.
People scare me a lot
more than anything I'm go
in week four and five,
and halfway through six,
we're gonna want
to kill each other.
Laura: And the things people
are capable of
doing to each other --
that's what I'm scared of.
Narrator: Dropped into
four distinct ecosystems
spread over a
20-square-mile area,
each group of three survivalists
will face different tests
in their fight to survive.
This is what we're gonna set up.
Narrator: The unforgiving
terrain will test the 1st group,
made up of a Texas ranch girl,
an animal-loving vegetarian,
and a man with a
chip on his shoulder.
They must find a way
to balance their
wildly divergent styles
to survive 40 days without
food, clothes, or water.
I'm saying we don't
need your help.
Okay, then. This
conversation is over.
The biggest thought I
have in my head right now is,
"what am I doing here?"
I'm Alana.
I'm a makeup artist
from Houston, Texas.
As long as they
haven't made spores yet,
these are delicious.
I was raised in a
rural environment.
Survival for me is just the
ultimate form of independence.
I'm feeling really lightheaded.
I learned in Fiji that you
can plan for everything,
but none of that can
necessarily happen.
Keith is not doing too great.
He may have had a seizure.
The medic's on his
way to check him out.
[ Radio chatter ]
Narrator: When her
partner is evacuated
Alana becomes the first female
to reach day 21 of her
survival challenge alone.
Alana: It's just
another challenge.
The top of that big hill --
that's my ticket out of here.
21 days was not
quite enough for me.
Ow! [Bleep]
For a 40-day challenge,
I am definitely anxious.
I know there's gonna
be a lot of difficulty.
[ Insects buzzing ]
Narrator: Alana and her group
will be inserted at El Bosque,
a dense, tropical woodland
sandwiched between
two small rivers.
Disease-carrying insects
and the world's greatest
variety of venomous snakes
inhabit the area.
Do you think a vegetarian
could survive out here?
Not a chance in hell.
Are you a vegetarian?
You are!
-Yeah. [ Laughs ]
Narrator: For the
steadfast vegetarian,
finding food will make
survival doubly challenging.
I'm most nervous about
what is out here for me to eat.
My name's Danielle.
I'm 25 years old.
I'm currently living in
Medford, New Jersey,
and I work as a
wilderness E.M.T.
I became a survivalist
because I've always
been infatuated with nature.
It's just a personal
hobby of mine.
The last time I was in Colombia,
the weather was a lot different.
It was a different season.
Charlie: Oh, that
one just blew up.
Isn't that like
cooking them alive?
It's not like
cooking them alive.
It is cooking them alive.
My biggest worry was
killing animals and
consuming them.
Oh, he's moving.
Snails don't have feelings.
I've been a vegetarian
since I was 3 years old.
I feel like everything is equal
and everything
deserves that respect,
especially if
you're taking its life.
I'm kind of torn right now.
There was times where
I was just mentally faced
with thoughts of
having to kill this animal.
I brought this back for you.
Well, this is a lot of
protein right here for me.
Yeah.
I was fortunate enough
to find a way to stay
vegetarian for the 21 days,
and I know this time around,
40 days is gonna
be a lot different.
We're pretty close to him.
Narrator: Completing the group,
the lone male who
has strong opinions
and a short fuse.
Shane: Ohh. It was
right on him, too.
"This is how you
stalk an animal."
[ Sighs ] We have
about a day or two
before I start snapping at them.
My name is Shane Lewis.
I live in Connecticut, on
the east coast of the states.
I am pushing my
limits all the time,
and I rock-climb,
ice-climb, skydive,
scuba-dive, snowboard,
surf all over the world.
It's all about speed and
how big your balls are.
[ Grunting ]
His poison is
everywhere. He is pissed.
I call myself the Alpha
male, not a Alpha male.
My parents kicked me out of
the house when I was 6 years old.
What?!
I spent 13 years in 5 foster
homes and 4 institutions.
Wow. Are you okay?
I'm a very raw and
intense human being.
[ Sighs ]
I don't care if anyone
likes me or doesn't like me.
That's just been the way
it's been since I was a kid.
That's what happens when
you grow up without parents.
The canopy's leaking.
I got to go out there
and cut some trees
to put on top of the canopy
to try to cut the rain down.
My first survival
experience was very difficult.
Some of the things that
I learned in Costa Rica --
I didn't build a 100%
secure canopy and lodge,
and I paid the price for that
'cause I had to make
it two more times.
Kim: Shane! [ Coughs ]
Shane! Where are you?
Get out of the shelter!
Shane!
-[ Coughing ]
Aah!
The 21-day challenge --
the relationships
were not as critical
as they are for this one.
We're gonna want
to kill each other,
and I think the only thing
that's gonna prevent us
from going at each other
is the fact that I
actually like you.
Shane: Kim, I
can't go any further.
I physically cannot
go any further.
I am not 100% confident
that I will make this
40-day challenge.
It's fear that makes me humbled
and respect the
place that I'm in.
Narrator: Every survivalist
has proven their worth
on the 21-day challenge.
Woman: This is, like, testing
the limits of my everything.
Their primitive
survival ratings, or PSRs,
rank them all as
expert-level survivalists.
With 40 days, they
face a new challenge --
sustaining a primitive
existence as a group.
Man: We need to hydrate.
-Just give me a second.
-It's a sauna in here.
Narrator: Based on the
combined skill of their members,
all trios will receive a
"Naked and Afraid XL" rating,
or "XLR," which
takes into account
not only experience
and mental toughness
but also the ability
to work together
and adapt to unstable
social dynamics.
I'm saying we don't
need your help.
[ Crying ] I have been trying
to be [bleep] supportive.
Shane: The jungle
doesn't give it to you.
You have to earn everything.
Narrator: On his
previous challenge,
Shane survived the
deadly jungle of Costa Rica,
but his intolerance toward
his partner hurt them both.
It's not easy, but I
know that you need it.
Danielle overcame a bossy
Alpha male in Colombia,
but her committed vegetarianism
meant she rarely
acquired sufficient protein.
Alana: No one's gonna
be watching my back.
It's all up to me.
Narrator: Alana
was the first female
but she clashed
repeatedly with her partner.
These three will
enter the challenge
with a combined XL
rating, or XLR, of 7.6.
Shane: So, I can see why
Alana made it through her
she [bleep] had the guy
build everything for her,
and he got burnt
out and he tapped out
and she sat there
and did nothing.
I think you're lazy.
Survival has to be lazy.
-I work smart.
-That's fine.
Well, you know,
now you can earn it.
Oh, damn, it is hot.
-It sure is.
-[ Sighs ]
Got to get some water.
I know, man. I'm feeling you.
[ Growls ]
Narrator: On "Naked
and Afraid: XL,"
a team of three Alpha males
will test their skills in
the wilds of Colombia.
So, as a soldier, the
highest point in the area
is the best place to
get a vantage point.
Narrator: The trio boasts a
highly decorated combat veteran
and two-time survivor
of "Naked and Afraid"
Hakim: Empathy, in
the spectrum of a ninja,
is very important.
Narrator: A
ninja warrior Yes!
Narrator: And
a big game hunter
with a passion for his sport.
These men are out to prove
who will lead and who will follow
during 40 long days and nights
without food, water, or clothes
in the cruelest
landscape on earth.
These Alpha males
will be inserted
at a mammoth basalt
outcropping called Roca Diablo.
Here, the volcanic rock radiates
heat and blocks the breeze,
making this the hottest
part of the Savanna.
For this ex-soldier,
the "Naked and
Afraid XL" challenge
is the culmination of
decades of training.
E.J.: This is the way to go --
dugout canoe, paddle my way in,
just like a ranger
on another mission.
I'm E.J.
I'm an independent contractor,
and I teach survival to future
green berets and other soldiers.
[ Blows ] It's out.
[Bleep]
Tanzania is the most
unforgiving place on the planet.
If we don't find water
within the next two hours,
we're gonna have to
come up with a "B" plan,
and I'm not sure what that is.
It doesn't lend itself to
resources very easily.
Ah, ah, ah, ah.
Woman: Aah.
E.J.: Every step is like
someone's got pincushions
in the wrong direction going
right up through your foot.
Aah!
I grew so much as a
man, as a survivalist.
It tested every fiber within me.
Ohh.
-Aah.
-You all right?
No.
If that starts going
up your leg, man,
you're in serious trouble.
There's been a low point
that you have to push through.
My foot was less
than an hour out
of getting a septicemia
in my bloodstream.
Aah!
[ Screaming ]
For me to say, "hey,
I'm out of here," nuh-unh.
I would have dragged
myself to the finish line
without a foot if I had to.
"Surrender" is not
in my vocabulary
because when I start
something, I don't quit.
So, when I got a second
chance to go again, I was like,
what I learned from that time,
and here we go to
Peru in the Amazon.
[ Thunder crashing ]
Why, why, why?!
Come on, E.J.!
Right here. Go! Go!
Great individuals are tested,
and you know they're great
when they rise to the occasion
and they stand tall
and they push through it.
-Yeah!
-Yeah!
Narrator: Though the
challenge has yet to begin,
every moment is
valuable preparation
for the ninja warrior.
Hakim: I'm just looking
at my surroundings.
I'm just trying
to stay prepared.
My name is Hakim.
I run a martial-arts
school in north Carolina.
I have fire skills,
shelter-building skills.
I don't have many doubts.
[ Birds chirping ]
I was in Jageshwar, India,
in my previous experience.
I really don't feel like
you care about me at all.
Hakim: I think that's
what's happening is
that you're like
some sort of Princess
-and you're just used to --
-oh, my [bleep]
Did you just say I'm
some sort of Princess?
-I did, and I'm sorry.
-Don't talk to me.
The worst thing
for me to deal with
was my partner
genuinely believed
that I did not have any
-- a care for her at all.
You never know how
you're going to react.
Things change.
You change as the
environment changes.
The way that [chuckles]
I acted is totally
inappropriate, so I'm sorry.
Thank you. I'm sorry, too.
Me and my partner
had some conflict,
but we came together,
and we were able to
pull through at the end.
Challenges like this
really change your
perspective as a human being,
and if I have it in me
to make it 40 days,
I'm gonna make it 40 days.
Narrator: At Roca
Diablo, the all-male team
will face dangers
from venomous snakes
and other deadly predators,
but the big game hunter of
the crew sees big opportunity.
Jeff: I'm sure
people think I'm nuts.
You know, they're wondering
why I'd want to do this again.
I just want to
push the envelope.
My name is Jeff, and
I'm from Pocatello, Idaho.
We're getting ready
to go on a hike.
That's a big bear.
When I was young, I
made a lot of choices
that put me in
dangerous situations.
You got yourself a rattlesnake.
Man: There you go.
And I loved it.
I'm thirsty.
[ Sighs ]
Madagascar was hot.
It was brutal hot.
[Bleep]
[ Groans ] Are you
freaking kidding me?
But the nights were
just as brutally cold.
What is with this stuff?
It doesn't want to ignite.
Look at this darling
little nest over here.
We can take it to start a fire.
-I'd rather leave them as a --
-would you?
Yeah, we don't need
to, like, rape and
pillage on the first day.
I have no problem
killing what we see
if I'm in a survival situation.
When I first met Eva,
it was clear that we
had our differences.
Since it's your first kill,
I'm gonna let you
make the first cut here.
Eva: You're gonna let
me make the first cut?
Aww, Jeff, that's so kind.
But throughout the
21-day challenge,
we really learned to
work together [ Grunts ]
and we became great friends.
-Yeah, baby!
-Whoo!
Oh, my god.
Whoo! Yeah!
Yeah!
I know I come off as very
confident and cocky sometimes.
My dear father in heaven
But the truth is, in my mind,
I'm relying on my
heavenly father
for just about everything I do.
We're running
completely on empty.
Our bodies have absolutely
no energy right now.
This is really difficult.
Ohh.
There's a lizard.
[ Whistles ]
Ohh!
Get out of there!
When I get you out of
here, I'm gonna kill you.
He knows that I am
the apex predator.
[ Sighs ]
Come on.
Yeah!
Whoo!
Aah!
[ Growls ] Aah!
Take that, Madagascar!
Yeah!
Part of my heart
still is in Madagascar.
God.
Die, black widows!
Die!
Narrator: Jeff's
determination in Madagascar
helped him survive,
but his Alpha-dog
personality could clash
with his partners'.
Hakim: Empathy, in
the spectrum of a ninja,
is very important.
Narrator: Hakim's
enduring philosophy
was a great benefit in India.
His skills and ninja-nuity will
be a huge help to the group.
Look at that!
That's dinner.
Narrator: A veteran
of two challenges,
E.J. Has notched the highest PSR
of any male on
"Naked and Afraid."
Together, this
group of Alpha males
will start with an XLR of 7.9.
For the Alpha
males at Roca Diablo,
survival comes
down to one thing --
those who dare, win.
Dude! [Bleep] Eel!
Let me get the fishing hooks.
It's a big one.
Here, Mr. Eel.
E.J.: You don't want to tangle
with an electric
eel in the water.
Send 500 volts in your system --
that's as good as
a death sentence.
But this is survival.
He's cutting in.
You got to get him
right behind the head.
[ Grunts ]
Got him. Nice.
-Whoo!
-Nice.
Whoo!
-You good?
-Yeah.
I felt the -- I felt the elec--
[ electricity crackles ] Oh!
Laura: Dude, Eva, you
ready for some lunch?
I took a big, fat
one right off the top.
Cheers.
Cheers.
Ladies.
[ Crunching ]
Mmm. Mmm. Mm-hmm.
Narrator: The
badlands of Colombia
will be a proving ground,
as three independent females
show who's really
the stronger sex.
I can't believe that we
have three badass women
that are gonna be doing
this challenge together.
Do you have a mosquito net?
-Yeah.
-Awesome.
It's gonna be some
serious chick power.
So, I brought a bow drill kit.
-Awesome.
-Totally.
Narrator: Each person will bring
only a knife and a
single survival item.
A small crew will
capture the 40-day journey
with clear instruction
not to intervene
unless there is a
medical emergency.
The team is made up of
an extreme rock climber
with a high
tolerance for pain
Seriously, covered in bug
bites, and they're just sitting there,
like, chewing on me.
Narrator: An up-and-coming
survivalist with an instinct for the
well, apparently, I
didn't need a hook.
Narrator: And the only woman
who is a two-time veteran
of "Naked and Afraid."
Laura: So, I've
done this twice now --
21 days on 2 separate
occasions in 2 different locations.
Narrator: On her third
"Naked" challenge,
this veteran isn't planning
on merely surviving.
By the time I leave here, I
want to have figured out this land.
I want this land
to feel like home.
My name is Laura.
I am a survivalist from
Groton, New Hampshire.
I was always really
drawn to wild places,
and I thought I
was kind of a weirdo
'cause I liked getting out there
and experiencing the land in
different ways than most people.
Took out all the sinew.
I love coming out here
and feeling like I'm a
human animal again.
I'm doing exactly
what I was meant to do,
and I'm existing where
I was meant to exist.
I'm really hoping there's
some lobster in that trap.
My wishes were answered,
and I got a lobster.
Oh, my goodness! There's two!
That's awesome.
I cannot wait to show
Clint and let him know
that the ocean is not a waste
and there's tons
of food out here
and we're gonna eat really good.
The experiences I've
had out here [Bleep] Me.
have been really challenging.
Testing the limits
of my everything.
You get in trouble
when you come out here
and you just think that you're
gonna kick everything's ass
and you're just the best at this
and there's nothing
that's gonna put you down.
Excuse me, Mr. Eel, do
you mind if I take this stick
and shove it up
your brain cranium
so that I can eat you tonight?
Laura: Thank the eel. He
just gave his life for you.
That's something you
say "thank you" for.
That's not something
you say, "[Bleep] You" for.
My previous survival
experiences have taught me
that even though I'm
kind of a loner by nature,
I learned the
value of coming out
and working with a partner
and being able to
see twice the return
for the work that you put in
because you have someone
there that has the same goal as you.
Laura: Well-deserved.
To the eel.
Well-earned. Teamwork.
I think embracing the fact
that you're gonna
come across challenges
and you're gonna have
the [bleep] humbled
right out of you
[ Thunder crashing ]
It will knock you on the ground,
and you have to be
able to stand back up --
but also, really rewarding.
Oh, man, we're glad to see you.
I think finishing both times
was probably two of the
best moments of my life,
and it's almost
this adrenaline high
that I'm seeking again to get
out there and be in that moment.
I definitely think I'm crazy for
coming out here for 40 days.
40 days is a whole
league of its own.
If 21 days is the
Everest of all challenges,
this is like going to the moon.
Narrator: The all-female team
will be inserted at Rio Negro,
an arid Savanna scrubland
with scant resources
and soaring temperatures.
Just 6 degrees from the equator,
the U.V. radiation here is
among the highest on earth.
The Colombian heat can
severely dehydrate the human body
in mere hours.
Eva: 40 days is gonna be crazy.
There's no safety net.
There's no padding.
There's no do-overs.
Can't imagine that
I've ever done anything
harder than this before.
Narrator: The second
member of the all-female team
comes in well-prepared
for the vicious temperatures.
My name is Eva.
I'm from flagstaff, Arizona.
I've always operated
under the pretense
that I am tougher
than anyone else.
Previously, I was in Madagascar.
It's really dry.
It's really hot.
This is nuts.
You have to relate
to your environment
in a way that you
never have before
and learn to work
with the environment,
not to come in and
try to conquer it,
because it will get you.
Eva: Oh, my god. It's
like a whole freaking --
it's like a black widow
nursery back there.
It is. Not even joking.
If all the babies
are back there,
that means mama's
back there, too.
My worst day in Madagascar
was this day that I
just about fainted.
Jeff: Eva! Are you okay?
And I need something
to drink immediately.
I was totally depleted,
totally dehydrated.
That was that low moment.
Whew.
That is total dehydration
happening right there.
My toughness comes from
someplace inside of me.
I don't know where it came
from. It's always been there.
Jeff, snake.
Jeff: Be careful!
three. Holy [bleep]
It's huge.
That's a boa.
That a girl!
It's until I put myself
in these places
where I'm raw and exposed
-- that's when I come alive.
Ladies first.
Oh, my god. It's, like, amazing.
I feel like, after 21
days in Madagascar,
I left feeling
skinny and hungry,
but I left feeling really strong
and really proud of myself
and everything that we
accomplished as a team.
-This is it!
-Get out.
-Get out.
-Whoo!
Madagascar!
Eva: 21 days wasn't enough.
40 days is a long-term
survival situation.
At the end of 40
days, it shouldn't matter
if you're getting picked
up on day 40 or day 140.
[ Insects chirping ]
Narrator: An
up-and-coming survivalist,
the third member
of the power trio,
is out to prove she belongs
with the best of the best.
It's thick, jungly, but
gorgeous, nonetheless.
My name is Dani Julien.
I am from Santa
Cruz, California,
and I'm an adventure guide.
I don't do this for a living,
but doesn't mean
that I can't hack it.
In 2008, I was volunteering
abroad in Tanzania,
and my house was broken into.
I hid, but my roommate did not.
To make the long
story very short,
I came out alive,
and he did not.
Holy [bleep]
Traditional therapy
was not working.
Right.
So we decided
that some wilderness
therapy might be effective,
and that's what started my
interest in this kind of stuff.
My last survival
experience was pretty hard
Yes! Justin, I got a fish! Ha!
but incredibly empowering.
Not bad for a chick
with a pointy stick.
Justin: I'm supposed
to be the one hunting.
And Pocahontas here, she
ended up sticking a fish, a snapper.
Good for her.
I feel bad, but I don't.
Justin wants so badly
to be the provider,
but it seems that his
primitive hunting skill set
is not up to par.
I went out and I did this.
I did this. I'm proud of myself.
Ultimately, it was successful.
This is gonna be the
bottom of my shoe.
Not necessarily the sole.
The sole's gonna
take a little bit longer.
I came out of that
feeling really confident
with myself and with my skills.
Yahoo! Ha!
I got a crab!
[ Laughs ]
[Bleep] You! I got
you, you little [bleep]
Mm!
One crab. Whatever.
I'd like to repeat some
level of that success
in this next challenge.
I might not make it.
I might not be able
to do it this time.
If I had to give myself advice,
it would be, "it's okay to cry,
it's okay to be sad, it's
okay to be bummed out,
but it's not okay
to cry, be sad,
and be bummed
out the whole time."
Narrator: Dani's
no-nonsense approach
caused friction
with her partner,
but her tenacity
pulled her through.
There's food just
sitting in the ocean.
As a veteran of two challenges,
Laura is the most
decorated female survivalist.
Her loner mentality, however,
could destabilize the trio.
Don't take it until you need it.
You know what I mean?
We don't need this right now.
Eva's stubbornness in
Madagascar frustrated her partner,
but her skill set
will contribute to
the group's success.
The combination of
skills and personalities
mean they will head
into their challenge
with an XL rating of 8.2.
Surviving in the
scrubland of Rio negro
will be a fight for
resources with nature itself.
And it will test if these
three strong-willed women
can survive together
for 40 brutal days.
-Badass.
-Very nice.
Whoo! I caught another lizard.
He's not much, but he's
more than we have, so
He's got worms. You
guys don't care, right?
It's extra protein?
We don't have enough food
to sustain [bleep] three of us.
Man: All right, so,
let's make a plan here.
I think we get in this way,
to block off the deep water
-And push him this way?
-And push him that way.
I think we can get
him into the shallows.
Man: Oh, oh, oh!
Right here! Right here!
He's right there. He surfaced.
There's his fin.
There's his fin.
That's all right.
Just keep a bigger barrier,
so he can't swim past me.
Luke: I kind of used
my body as a shield.
The water's so muddy, the
eel could slip right past us,
and so I'm kind of like,
"all right, well, I
have this corner.
He's right in front of me."
This is the dumbest [bleep]
I've ever done in my life.
[ Electricity crackles ]
Oh!
[ Chattering ]
Well, no fruit, but a
whole lot more battle scars.
Honora: Do you
see that, like, nub,
where it kind of
meets the fruit tree?
I might be willing to
shimmy up to that nub.
I mean, if you fail, you're
done with this challenge,
and you're definitely
in the hospital.
Narrator: In the most
remote part of Colombia,
one woman seeks redemption
amongst two confident men
in the toughest survival
challenge ever attempted.
Chris: Mental toughness
is definitely my strength.
I'm a marine vet. I'm a
commercial fisherman.
Pretty confident around water.
Narrator: The last group is
composed of an ex-marine
I might do some yoga.
The best time to
start is right now,
when you're stuck with
a hippie in the woods.
[ Breathing sharply ] Down.
Kind of keeping
your back straight.
[ Breathes deeply ]
Breath into your ribs.
and a wilderness therapist
I like working with plants.
I'm an herbalist back at home.
They'll join forces
with one woman
who has come back to
prove she won't tap out again.
I'm trying to, like, stay calm.
[ Chuckles ]
I don't want to
psych myself out.
My name's Honora,
and I am a massage
therapist and an herbalist.
I've pretty much
been a survivalist
since I was a teenager.
I developed an eating
disorder, and almost killed me.
So I know that if I can find
just, like, a little bit of food
that I can survive.
The hardest thing about Brazil
was that we were dealing
with total starvation.
We were eating like
50 calories a day.
Yeah, I'll eat that.
Amazing. Some protein.
Finding some coconuts would
really restore some
hope, you know?
It would be the
electrolytes that I need.
[ Sobs ]
I only found a small
handful of coconuts
the whole time we were there.
This is the best thing
I've ever had in my life.
My partner and I
had some differences.
[Bleep] I'm not
the fat kid here.
Smells like [bleep] [bleep]
Like, we're
biologically predisposed
to [bleep] hate each other
because, day one, I noticed
that you [bleep] stank, dude.
-Like, you stank.
-Okay, dude.
You're stupid, and you're lazy.
So I'm over it.
I think we had
problems communicating
more than anything.
Basically, we're
not getting along,
and we agreed to divvy
up our building materials.
So you can keep everything.
I'm keeping the palms,
since you carried up only one.
Dude, you're so delusional.
All right, go ahead
and tell yourself that.
It ended up leading to
me overexerting myself
[ Crying ] I need salt.
I need sugar.
I need potassium.
[ Sobbing ] This place is
not conducive to surviving.
to the point where I
basically blacked out.
Can you squeeze my hand?
Can we get a medic
over here now?
She's not responding.
Can you see?
-Honora?
-Honora.
Honora?
Jim: Honora, can you hear me?
Woman: Can you hear us?
Say something to us, please.
Let's go.
We're just trying to
get her to the hospital
as fast as we can.
The hospital's in town.
I've got Honora
unconscious in my lap.
[ Speaking native language ]
I'm just happy to be alive.
I really want to
thrive this time.
I want to -- I want
to make it to the end.
I feel like I can apply that
experience, and this time,
I feel like I have the chance
to kind of redeem myself.
Narrator: Honora
and her teammates
will be inserted at Cao Verde,
a marshy jungle swampland.
It's prime territory for the
country's most notorious snake.
Reaching 30 feet in length
and weighing up to 500 pounds,
the green anaconda
hunts at water's edge,
waiting for unsuspecting prey
it can crush with
its powerful coils.
For the wilderness therapist,
the key to success is a
healthy dose of humility.
Very intense to jump
into something like this,
but you've signed
up for 40 days.
It's hard to fathom
how much time that is.
My name is Luke McLaughlin.
I currently live in
salt lake city, Utah,
and I am a
wilderness field guide.
Here we go. We have flames.
I think the largest
misconception
people have about me
is that I'm this hippie.
In high school,
I was the captain of
three varsity sports teams.
I've always tried to put
myself in a leadership role.
we're not just,
like, unpleasant, like,
"oh, I wish" -- like, cold.
Like, you're shaking
the whole time.
For my first survival challenge,
the toughest thing, hands down,
no question, were
the nights in Namibia,
and it was just miserable.
[Bleep] Cordage is breaking.
Who needs sinew
when you have hair?
Come on!!
[Bleep] Every time.
My previous survival
experience definitely changed me.
You know, for me,
some anger came up.
How the [bleep]
is that not a coal?!
I love the fact that, you know,
whatever you throw at nature,
it bounces right back at you.
My guts' been telling
me try sage on sage today
because it's really hard wood.
You know, hopefully, that works.
Luke: We have fire.
Oh, my god.
Being out in the
wilderness for 21 days,
it really exposed some of that
and helped me kind
of work through it.
[ Sighs ]
Lindsey: It's really awesome.
I tried for days and
days and days, you know,
and this is sort of my thing,
and I guess it was my
ego that was, you know,
making me think
I should do better
and making me feel terrible
and a lot of guilt and shame.
This is my church.
This is my divinity.
For me, it's not about bending
mother nature to your will.
You know, it's about
finding Harmony with it
as much as you can.
21 days was pretty trying.
You know, it's
mentally straining.
40 days is definitely gonna be,
obviously, twice
the amount of time.
So, a 40-day
challenge -- you know,
you're gonna have
to dig a little deeper
and really find out
what you're made of.
My name is Chris. I'm
a commercial fisherman.
I'm from cape may, New Jersey.
Man: Plenty of room
for two naked people.
[ Chuckles ]
Some people run marathons.
Some people do ironmans.
Surviving's my deal.
21 days is a [bleep] lot.
Personally, I
think the worst trait
you can have in a
partner is weak-minded.
Weak-minded is a cancer.
Chris: We are away.
We're away from everybody.
Except for each other.
Chris: I'm that bad?
I know girls that would kill
to be on an island
with me for 21 days.
When I was in Dominica,
I had a partner that --
I don't think she
was really aware
of what the survival
challenge entailed.
I can't hold the
bow, hold the bottom,
and spindle it all myself.
I think you're strong
enough to do the whole thing.
It's not a matter of strength.
-It is.
-No. It's just awkward.
I'm not gonna burn
myself out just so so
I [bleep] hate being
on this island with him.
I want to get the
[bleep] away from him.
I'm so pissed off right now,
I just feel like smashing
this [bleep] camera.
I would never leave
someone behind.
It's just unacceptable.
You know, you're a team.
You never leave
someone out to dry.
If it came down to it, I'd have
no problem surviving by myself.
In Dominica, I did the
last days by myself.
Oh, that baby's smoking.
Oh!
[ Growls ]
My last experience was
humbling in the fact that, you know,
I went in with a
pretty cavalier attitude.
I was just a little
cocky in saying that,
"oh, I'll have fire
in an hour" Yes!
[Bleep] "A"!
where it took 12 days.
Whoo!
You don't even know.
I was confident in my skill set,
but maybe just a
little too confident.
But this next 40
days of survival,
you're actually gonna
have to dig a little deeper.
It's gonna be
extreme weight loss.
It's definitely
gonna wear you thin.
You know, I did the last
challenge for my father --
you know, just to
make him proud.
And you know, I don't think
I have anything to prove
to anybody but myself,
so I'm just gonna do this for me
and just to see
what I'm made of.
Yep. Bummer, man.
She couldn't hack it 'cause
there wasn't enough food.
Narrator: After Chris
lost his partner on day 13,
it was his determination that
got him through his challenge.
Universe, help me.
Help me, please.
Narrator: Honora's recklessness
required a medical evacuation in
she'll have to modify her
approach to last 40 days.
Luke: Sticks now.
We have fire.
Narrator: In Namibia,
Luke earned his elite status
in the African wastelands,
but his ego sometimes
got in the way.
They will start
with an XLR of 7.8.
[ Sniffles ]
Burning this [bleep]
I'm not gonna let you burn that.
Hey, that's mine!
Give that back to me. It's mine.
[ Sighs, sniffling ]
She's got your knife.
You throw that
knife in the water,
and I guarantee you're
gonna have a serious problem.
Her true colors
came out to shine.
And she wants to call
herself a survivalist,
when she knows we're gonna
be here for a 40-day challenge,
and she's trying to sabotage us?
This is some [bleep]
If this happened on the street, somebody
would have got their ass whooped.
Narrator: 12 "Naked
and Afraid" veterans
are about to begin
the most difficult survival
challenge ever attempted.
40 days is an immense
challenge in itself.
[ Shouts indistinctly ]
Man, so much crap in
the jungle has thorns on it.
Everything in the
jungle wants to bite you.
If you do not have
anything left on day 21,
and then you have to
stay for another 20 days,
you're gonna be in
pretty rough shape.
Nothing, right?
Boys We're in hell now.
Something's not right.
I might have got
stung by a scorpion.
I'm not sure.
[ Insects chirping ]
This could get wild.
[ Indistinct shouting ]
Holy We're on full alert.
Big cat just tried
to come in here.
Holy Look at that.
Oh, geez. He's big.
Whatever is making
this paw print, man --
it's what's
stalking us at night.
Jeff: This is a
survival challenge.
You die, or you survive.
Narrator: The series premiere
of "Naked and Afraid XL"
starts Sunday, July 12th,
with a two-hour event
at 9:00 on discovery.
Woman: I'm at the mercy
of mother nature right now.
That can be scary.
[ Sniffles ]
I know there are other
people out here somewhere.
I want food.
Narrator: The Everest
of survival challenges
[ Screaming ]
is back Aah!
bigger Whatever
we find, we're killing it.
-Yeah!
-Tougher [ Growls ]
[ Roars ]
[ Man screams ]
and more extreme than ever.
Look at the size.
I'd be lying if I say
I wasn't concerned.
Man: Get back. Get back.
[ Screeches ]
12 elite survivalists
will embark on the
fight of their lives.
Just the worst possible
day you could do this.
Narrator: These six
men and six women
have already
proven their skills
-[ Grunts ]
-Surviving Naked and Afraid
for 21 days in the
harshest places on earth.
-Yeah, buddy.
-Yeah, baby!
[ Thunder rumbles ]
Narrator: Now
In one of the most
demanding physical challanges
ever conceived My
body is just breaking down.
-Aah!
-Aah!
they will have to try
to stay alive [ Grunts ]
for 40 days and 40
nights She just passed out.
with no food [Bleep]
That was a good meal.
no water Please, lord.
and no clothes.
I'm getting eaten alive by ants.
Narrator: Not only will they
have to survive, but thrive.
I don't think I can do it.
Narrator: Their Nemesis --
the badlands of Colombia,
where resources are scarce,
the predators are deadly,
and the temperatures are brutal.
[Bleep] Calves and my
arms are, like, cramping.
Now we reveal unique insights
into the challenge
of a lifetime.
I no longer feel
safe around Chris.
Narrator: With special
sneak previews,
we take an in-depth
look at the survivalists.
He's not stable.
We have about a day or
two before I start snapping.
-How they prepared
-[Bleep]
and why they want to
attempt the impossible
-So [bleep] hot out today.
-[ Sighs ]
Narrator: In the deadly
wilderness of Colombia.
"Naked and Afraid XL."
Yeah! We're
eating tonight, baby!
Man: They said it couldn't
be done in Colombia!
Sometimes I definitely think
I'm crazy for coming out here.
40 days is a long time.
And you're like,
"okay, I did 21 before.
Now we're doubling that."
Narrator: These survivalists
are heading through
Colombia's vast
Orinoco river basin
to different insertion points,
where they will start
their 40-day challenge.
Eva: I think in 40 days,
I'm gonna find
something in myself
that I never knew I had before.
Narrator: This violent landscape
marked by treacherous swamps,
dense jungles, and
sweltering savannas
is dominated by
swarms of biting insects,
the world's largest variety
of venomous snakes,
and apex predators
that lurk in the shadows.
For the next 40 days,
this hellhole is going to
provide the ultimate test
for these veterans
of "Naked and Afraid."
The 40-day challenge is
past the maximum point
of what a human body can handle.
People start to die
after three weeks.
And it's harsh. It's
not gonna be easy.
It's gonna be the hardest
thing that I ever do in my life.
I'm a proud guy.
I'm competitive.
And I just want
to see what I got.
Narrator: Instead of pairing up
with a partner of the opposite sex,
as they did in
"Naked and Afraid,"
these survivalists will
form groups of threes,
so they will have to tame
complex social dynamics
as well as the
hostile wilderness.
[ Voice breaking ] I'm
feeling very attacked.
You've been
bitching for an hour!
It's the other --
the human element
that makes me most
nervous right now.
People scare me a lot
more than anything I'm go
in week four and five,
and halfway through six,
we're gonna want
to kill each other.
Laura: And the things people
are capable of
doing to each other --
that's what I'm scared of.
Narrator: Dropped into
four distinct ecosystems
spread over a
20-square-mile area,
each group of three survivalists
will face different tests
in their fight to survive.
This is what we're gonna set up.
Narrator: The unforgiving
terrain will test the 1st group,
made up of a Texas ranch girl,
an animal-loving vegetarian,
and a man with a
chip on his shoulder.
They must find a way
to balance their
wildly divergent styles
to survive 40 days without
food, clothes, or water.
I'm saying we don't
need your help.
Okay, then. This
conversation is over.
The biggest thought I
have in my head right now is,
"what am I doing here?"
I'm Alana.
I'm a makeup artist
from Houston, Texas.
As long as they
haven't made spores yet,
these are delicious.
I was raised in a
rural environment.
Survival for me is just the
ultimate form of independence.
I'm feeling really lightheaded.
I learned in Fiji that you
can plan for everything,
but none of that can
necessarily happen.
Keith is not doing too great.
He may have had a seizure.
The medic's on his
way to check him out.
[ Radio chatter ]
Narrator: When her
partner is evacuated
Alana becomes the first female
to reach day 21 of her
survival challenge alone.
Alana: It's just
another challenge.
The top of that big hill --
that's my ticket out of here.
21 days was not
quite enough for me.
Ow! [Bleep]
For a 40-day challenge,
I am definitely anxious.
I know there's gonna
be a lot of difficulty.
[ Insects buzzing ]
Narrator: Alana and her group
will be inserted at El Bosque,
a dense, tropical woodland
sandwiched between
two small rivers.
Disease-carrying insects
and the world's greatest
variety of venomous snakes
inhabit the area.
Do you think a vegetarian
could survive out here?
Not a chance in hell.
Are you a vegetarian?
You are!
-Yeah. [ Laughs ]
Narrator: For the
steadfast vegetarian,
finding food will make
survival doubly challenging.
I'm most nervous about
what is out here for me to eat.
My name's Danielle.
I'm 25 years old.
I'm currently living in
Medford, New Jersey,
and I work as a
wilderness E.M.T.
I became a survivalist
because I've always
been infatuated with nature.
It's just a personal
hobby of mine.
The last time I was in Colombia,
the weather was a lot different.
It was a different season.
Charlie: Oh, that
one just blew up.
Isn't that like
cooking them alive?
It's not like
cooking them alive.
It is cooking them alive.
My biggest worry was
killing animals and
consuming them.
Oh, he's moving.
Snails don't have feelings.
I've been a vegetarian
since I was 3 years old.
I feel like everything is equal
and everything
deserves that respect,
especially if
you're taking its life.
I'm kind of torn right now.
There was times where
I was just mentally faced
with thoughts of
having to kill this animal.
I brought this back for you.
Well, this is a lot of
protein right here for me.
Yeah.
I was fortunate enough
to find a way to stay
vegetarian for the 21 days,
and I know this time around,
40 days is gonna
be a lot different.
We're pretty close to him.
Narrator: Completing the group,
the lone male who
has strong opinions
and a short fuse.
Shane: Ohh. It was
right on him, too.
"This is how you
stalk an animal."
[ Sighs ] We have
about a day or two
before I start snapping at them.
My name is Shane Lewis.
I live in Connecticut, on
the east coast of the states.
I am pushing my
limits all the time,
and I rock-climb,
ice-climb, skydive,
scuba-dive, snowboard,
surf all over the world.
It's all about speed and
how big your balls are.
[ Grunting ]
His poison is
everywhere. He is pissed.
I call myself the Alpha
male, not a Alpha male.
My parents kicked me out of
the house when I was 6 years old.
What?!
I spent 13 years in 5 foster
homes and 4 institutions.
Wow. Are you okay?
I'm a very raw and
intense human being.
[ Sighs ]
I don't care if anyone
likes me or doesn't like me.
That's just been the way
it's been since I was a kid.
That's what happens when
you grow up without parents.
The canopy's leaking.
I got to go out there
and cut some trees
to put on top of the canopy
to try to cut the rain down.
My first survival
experience was very difficult.
Some of the things that
I learned in Costa Rica --
I didn't build a 100%
secure canopy and lodge,
and I paid the price for that
'cause I had to make
it two more times.
Kim: Shane! [ Coughs ]
Shane! Where are you?
Get out of the shelter!
Shane!
-[ Coughing ]
Aah!
The 21-day challenge --
the relationships
were not as critical
as they are for this one.
We're gonna want
to kill each other,
and I think the only thing
that's gonna prevent us
from going at each other
is the fact that I
actually like you.
Shane: Kim, I
can't go any further.
I physically cannot
go any further.
I am not 100% confident
that I will make this
40-day challenge.
It's fear that makes me humbled
and respect the
place that I'm in.
Narrator: Every survivalist
has proven their worth
on the 21-day challenge.
Woman: This is, like, testing
the limits of my everything.
Their primitive
survival ratings, or PSRs,
rank them all as
expert-level survivalists.
With 40 days, they
face a new challenge --
sustaining a primitive
existence as a group.
Man: We need to hydrate.
-Just give me a second.
-It's a sauna in here.
Narrator: Based on the
combined skill of their members,
all trios will receive a
"Naked and Afraid XL" rating,
or "XLR," which
takes into account
not only experience
and mental toughness
but also the ability
to work together
and adapt to unstable
social dynamics.
I'm saying we don't
need your help.
[ Crying ] I have been trying
to be [bleep] supportive.
Shane: The jungle
doesn't give it to you.
You have to earn everything.
Narrator: On his
previous challenge,
Shane survived the
deadly jungle of Costa Rica,
but his intolerance toward
his partner hurt them both.
It's not easy, but I
know that you need it.
Danielle overcame a bossy
Alpha male in Colombia,
but her committed vegetarianism
meant she rarely
acquired sufficient protein.
Alana: No one's gonna
be watching my back.
It's all up to me.
Narrator: Alana
was the first female
but she clashed
repeatedly with her partner.
These three will
enter the challenge
with a combined XL
rating, or XLR, of 7.6.
Shane: So, I can see why
Alana made it through her
she [bleep] had the guy
build everything for her,
and he got burnt
out and he tapped out
and she sat there
and did nothing.
I think you're lazy.
Survival has to be lazy.
-I work smart.
-That's fine.
Well, you know,
now you can earn it.
Oh, damn, it is hot.
-It sure is.
-[ Sighs ]
Got to get some water.
I know, man. I'm feeling you.
[ Growls ]
Narrator: On "Naked
and Afraid: XL,"
a team of three Alpha males
will test their skills in
the wilds of Colombia.
So, as a soldier, the
highest point in the area
is the best place to
get a vantage point.
Narrator: The trio boasts a
highly decorated combat veteran
and two-time survivor
of "Naked and Afraid"
Hakim: Empathy, in
the spectrum of a ninja,
is very important.
Narrator: A
ninja warrior Yes!
Narrator: And
a big game hunter
with a passion for his sport.
These men are out to prove
who will lead and who will follow
during 40 long days and nights
without food, water, or clothes
in the cruelest
landscape on earth.
These Alpha males
will be inserted
at a mammoth basalt
outcropping called Roca Diablo.
Here, the volcanic rock radiates
heat and blocks the breeze,
making this the hottest
part of the Savanna.
For this ex-soldier,
the "Naked and
Afraid XL" challenge
is the culmination of
decades of training.
E.J.: This is the way to go --
dugout canoe, paddle my way in,
just like a ranger
on another mission.
I'm E.J.
I'm an independent contractor,
and I teach survival to future
green berets and other soldiers.
[ Blows ] It's out.
[Bleep]
Tanzania is the most
unforgiving place on the planet.
If we don't find water
within the next two hours,
we're gonna have to
come up with a "B" plan,
and I'm not sure what that is.
It doesn't lend itself to
resources very easily.
Ah, ah, ah, ah.
Woman: Aah.
E.J.: Every step is like
someone's got pincushions
in the wrong direction going
right up through your foot.
Aah!
I grew so much as a
man, as a survivalist.
It tested every fiber within me.
Ohh.
-Aah.
-You all right?
No.
If that starts going
up your leg, man,
you're in serious trouble.
There's been a low point
that you have to push through.
My foot was less
than an hour out
of getting a septicemia
in my bloodstream.
Aah!
[ Screaming ]
For me to say, "hey,
I'm out of here," nuh-unh.
I would have dragged
myself to the finish line
without a foot if I had to.
"Surrender" is not
in my vocabulary
because when I start
something, I don't quit.
So, when I got a second
chance to go again, I was like,
what I learned from that time,
and here we go to
Peru in the Amazon.
[ Thunder crashing ]
Why, why, why?!
Come on, E.J.!
Right here. Go! Go!
Great individuals are tested,
and you know they're great
when they rise to the occasion
and they stand tall
and they push through it.
-Yeah!
-Yeah!
Narrator: Though the
challenge has yet to begin,
every moment is
valuable preparation
for the ninja warrior.
Hakim: I'm just looking
at my surroundings.
I'm just trying
to stay prepared.
My name is Hakim.
I run a martial-arts
school in north Carolina.
I have fire skills,
shelter-building skills.
I don't have many doubts.
[ Birds chirping ]
I was in Jageshwar, India,
in my previous experience.
I really don't feel like
you care about me at all.
Hakim: I think that's
what's happening is
that you're like
some sort of Princess
-and you're just used to --
-oh, my [bleep]
Did you just say I'm
some sort of Princess?
-I did, and I'm sorry.
-Don't talk to me.
The worst thing
for me to deal with
was my partner
genuinely believed
that I did not have any
-- a care for her at all.
You never know how
you're going to react.
Things change.
You change as the
environment changes.
The way that [chuckles]
I acted is totally
inappropriate, so I'm sorry.
Thank you. I'm sorry, too.
Me and my partner
had some conflict,
but we came together,
and we were able to
pull through at the end.
Challenges like this
really change your
perspective as a human being,
and if I have it in me
to make it 40 days,
I'm gonna make it 40 days.
Narrator: At Roca
Diablo, the all-male team
will face dangers
from venomous snakes
and other deadly predators,
but the big game hunter of
the crew sees big opportunity.
Jeff: I'm sure
people think I'm nuts.
You know, they're wondering
why I'd want to do this again.
I just want to
push the envelope.
My name is Jeff, and
I'm from Pocatello, Idaho.
We're getting ready
to go on a hike.
That's a big bear.
When I was young, I
made a lot of choices
that put me in
dangerous situations.
You got yourself a rattlesnake.
Man: There you go.
And I loved it.
I'm thirsty.
[ Sighs ]
Madagascar was hot.
It was brutal hot.
[Bleep]
[ Groans ] Are you
freaking kidding me?
But the nights were
just as brutally cold.
What is with this stuff?
It doesn't want to ignite.
Look at this darling
little nest over here.
We can take it to start a fire.
-I'd rather leave them as a --
-would you?
Yeah, we don't need
to, like, rape and
pillage on the first day.
I have no problem
killing what we see
if I'm in a survival situation.
When I first met Eva,
it was clear that we
had our differences.
Since it's your first kill,
I'm gonna let you
make the first cut here.
Eva: You're gonna let
me make the first cut?
Aww, Jeff, that's so kind.
But throughout the
21-day challenge,
we really learned to
work together [ Grunts ]
and we became great friends.
-Yeah, baby!
-Whoo!
Oh, my god.
Whoo! Yeah!
Yeah!
I know I come off as very
confident and cocky sometimes.
My dear father in heaven
But the truth is, in my mind,
I'm relying on my
heavenly father
for just about everything I do.
We're running
completely on empty.
Our bodies have absolutely
no energy right now.
This is really difficult.
Ohh.
There's a lizard.
[ Whistles ]
Ohh!
Get out of there!
When I get you out of
here, I'm gonna kill you.
He knows that I am
the apex predator.
[ Sighs ]
Come on.
Yeah!
Whoo!
Aah!
[ Growls ] Aah!
Take that, Madagascar!
Yeah!
Part of my heart
still is in Madagascar.
God.
Die, black widows!
Die!
Narrator: Jeff's
determination in Madagascar
helped him survive,
but his Alpha-dog
personality could clash
with his partners'.
Hakim: Empathy, in
the spectrum of a ninja,
is very important.
Narrator: Hakim's
enduring philosophy
was a great benefit in India.
His skills and ninja-nuity will
be a huge help to the group.
Look at that!
That's dinner.
Narrator: A veteran
of two challenges,
E.J. Has notched the highest PSR
of any male on
"Naked and Afraid."
Together, this
group of Alpha males
will start with an XLR of 7.9.
For the Alpha
males at Roca Diablo,
survival comes
down to one thing --
those who dare, win.
Dude! [Bleep] Eel!
Let me get the fishing hooks.
It's a big one.
Here, Mr. Eel.
E.J.: You don't want to tangle
with an electric
eel in the water.
Send 500 volts in your system --
that's as good as
a death sentence.
But this is survival.
He's cutting in.
You got to get him
right behind the head.
[ Grunts ]
Got him. Nice.
-Whoo!
-Nice.
Whoo!
-You good?
-Yeah.
I felt the -- I felt the elec--
[ electricity crackles ] Oh!
Laura: Dude, Eva, you
ready for some lunch?
I took a big, fat
one right off the top.
Cheers.
Cheers.
Ladies.
[ Crunching ]
Mmm. Mmm. Mm-hmm.
Narrator: The
badlands of Colombia
will be a proving ground,
as three independent females
show who's really
the stronger sex.
I can't believe that we
have three badass women
that are gonna be doing
this challenge together.
Do you have a mosquito net?
-Yeah.
-Awesome.
It's gonna be some
serious chick power.
So, I brought a bow drill kit.
-Awesome.
-Totally.
Narrator: Each person will bring
only a knife and a
single survival item.
A small crew will
capture the 40-day journey
with clear instruction
not to intervene
unless there is a
medical emergency.
The team is made up of
an extreme rock climber
with a high
tolerance for pain
Seriously, covered in bug
bites, and they're just sitting there,
like, chewing on me.
Narrator: An up-and-coming
survivalist with an instinct for the
well, apparently, I
didn't need a hook.
Narrator: And the only woman
who is a two-time veteran
of "Naked and Afraid."
Laura: So, I've
done this twice now --
21 days on 2 separate
occasions in 2 different locations.
Narrator: On her third
"Naked" challenge,
this veteran isn't planning
on merely surviving.
By the time I leave here, I
want to have figured out this land.
I want this land
to feel like home.
My name is Laura.
I am a survivalist from
Groton, New Hampshire.
I was always really
drawn to wild places,
and I thought I
was kind of a weirdo
'cause I liked getting out there
and experiencing the land in
different ways than most people.
Took out all the sinew.
I love coming out here
and feeling like I'm a
human animal again.
I'm doing exactly
what I was meant to do,
and I'm existing where
I was meant to exist.
I'm really hoping there's
some lobster in that trap.
My wishes were answered,
and I got a lobster.
Oh, my goodness! There's two!
That's awesome.
I cannot wait to show
Clint and let him know
that the ocean is not a waste
and there's tons
of food out here
and we're gonna eat really good.
The experiences I've
had out here [Bleep] Me.
have been really challenging.
Testing the limits
of my everything.
You get in trouble
when you come out here
and you just think that you're
gonna kick everything's ass
and you're just the best at this
and there's nothing
that's gonna put you down.
Excuse me, Mr. Eel, do
you mind if I take this stick
and shove it up
your brain cranium
so that I can eat you tonight?
Laura: Thank the eel. He
just gave his life for you.
That's something you
say "thank you" for.
That's not something
you say, "[Bleep] You" for.
My previous survival
experiences have taught me
that even though I'm
kind of a loner by nature,
I learned the
value of coming out
and working with a partner
and being able to
see twice the return
for the work that you put in
because you have someone
there that has the same goal as you.
Laura: Well-deserved.
To the eel.
Well-earned. Teamwork.
I think embracing the fact
that you're gonna
come across challenges
and you're gonna have
the [bleep] humbled
right out of you
[ Thunder crashing ]
It will knock you on the ground,
and you have to be
able to stand back up --
but also, really rewarding.
Oh, man, we're glad to see you.
I think finishing both times
was probably two of the
best moments of my life,
and it's almost
this adrenaline high
that I'm seeking again to get
out there and be in that moment.
I definitely think I'm crazy for
coming out here for 40 days.
40 days is a whole
league of its own.
If 21 days is the
Everest of all challenges,
this is like going to the moon.
Narrator: The all-female team
will be inserted at Rio Negro,
an arid Savanna scrubland
with scant resources
and soaring temperatures.
Just 6 degrees from the equator,
the U.V. radiation here is
among the highest on earth.
The Colombian heat can
severely dehydrate the human body
in mere hours.
Eva: 40 days is gonna be crazy.
There's no safety net.
There's no padding.
There's no do-overs.
Can't imagine that
I've ever done anything
harder than this before.
Narrator: The second
member of the all-female team
comes in well-prepared
for the vicious temperatures.
My name is Eva.
I'm from flagstaff, Arizona.
I've always operated
under the pretense
that I am tougher
than anyone else.
Previously, I was in Madagascar.
It's really dry.
It's really hot.
This is nuts.
You have to relate
to your environment
in a way that you
never have before
and learn to work
with the environment,
not to come in and
try to conquer it,
because it will get you.
Eva: Oh, my god. It's
like a whole freaking --
it's like a black widow
nursery back there.
It is. Not even joking.
If all the babies
are back there,
that means mama's
back there, too.
My worst day in Madagascar
was this day that I
just about fainted.
Jeff: Eva! Are you okay?
And I need something
to drink immediately.
I was totally depleted,
totally dehydrated.
That was that low moment.
Whew.
That is total dehydration
happening right there.
My toughness comes from
someplace inside of me.
I don't know where it came
from. It's always been there.
Jeff, snake.
Jeff: Be careful!
three. Holy [bleep]
It's huge.
That's a boa.
That a girl!
It's until I put myself
in these places
where I'm raw and exposed
-- that's when I come alive.
Ladies first.
Oh, my god. It's, like, amazing.
I feel like, after 21
days in Madagascar,
I left feeling
skinny and hungry,
but I left feeling really strong
and really proud of myself
and everything that we
accomplished as a team.
-This is it!
-Get out.
-Get out.
-Whoo!
Madagascar!
Eva: 21 days wasn't enough.
40 days is a long-term
survival situation.
At the end of 40
days, it shouldn't matter
if you're getting picked
up on day 40 or day 140.
[ Insects chirping ]
Narrator: An
up-and-coming survivalist,
the third member
of the power trio,
is out to prove she belongs
with the best of the best.
It's thick, jungly, but
gorgeous, nonetheless.
My name is Dani Julien.
I am from Santa
Cruz, California,
and I'm an adventure guide.
I don't do this for a living,
but doesn't mean
that I can't hack it.
In 2008, I was volunteering
abroad in Tanzania,
and my house was broken into.
I hid, but my roommate did not.
To make the long
story very short,
I came out alive,
and he did not.
Holy [bleep]
Traditional therapy
was not working.
Right.
So we decided
that some wilderness
therapy might be effective,
and that's what started my
interest in this kind of stuff.
My last survival
experience was pretty hard
Yes! Justin, I got a fish! Ha!
but incredibly empowering.
Not bad for a chick
with a pointy stick.
Justin: I'm supposed
to be the one hunting.
And Pocahontas here, she
ended up sticking a fish, a snapper.
Good for her.
I feel bad, but I don't.
Justin wants so badly
to be the provider,
but it seems that his
primitive hunting skill set
is not up to par.
I went out and I did this.
I did this. I'm proud of myself.
Ultimately, it was successful.
This is gonna be the
bottom of my shoe.
Not necessarily the sole.
The sole's gonna
take a little bit longer.
I came out of that
feeling really confident
with myself and with my skills.
Yahoo! Ha!
I got a crab!
[ Laughs ]
[Bleep] You! I got
you, you little [bleep]
Mm!
One crab. Whatever.
I'd like to repeat some
level of that success
in this next challenge.
I might not make it.
I might not be able
to do it this time.
If I had to give myself advice,
it would be, "it's okay to cry,
it's okay to be sad, it's
okay to be bummed out,
but it's not okay
to cry, be sad,
and be bummed
out the whole time."
Narrator: Dani's
no-nonsense approach
caused friction
with her partner,
but her tenacity
pulled her through.
There's food just
sitting in the ocean.
As a veteran of two challenges,
Laura is the most
decorated female survivalist.
Her loner mentality, however,
could destabilize the trio.
Don't take it until you need it.
You know what I mean?
We don't need this right now.
Eva's stubbornness in
Madagascar frustrated her partner,
but her skill set
will contribute to
the group's success.
The combination of
skills and personalities
mean they will head
into their challenge
with an XL rating of 8.2.
Surviving in the
scrubland of Rio negro
will be a fight for
resources with nature itself.
And it will test if these
three strong-willed women
can survive together
for 40 brutal days.
-Badass.
-Very nice.
Whoo! I caught another lizard.
He's not much, but he's
more than we have, so
He's got worms. You
guys don't care, right?
It's extra protein?
We don't have enough food
to sustain [bleep] three of us.
Man: All right, so,
let's make a plan here.
I think we get in this way,
to block off the deep water
-And push him this way?
-And push him that way.
I think we can get
him into the shallows.
Man: Oh, oh, oh!
Right here! Right here!
He's right there. He surfaced.
There's his fin.
There's his fin.
That's all right.
Just keep a bigger barrier,
so he can't swim past me.
Luke: I kind of used
my body as a shield.
The water's so muddy, the
eel could slip right past us,
and so I'm kind of like,
"all right, well, I
have this corner.
He's right in front of me."
This is the dumbest [bleep]
I've ever done in my life.
[ Electricity crackles ]
Oh!
[ Chattering ]
Well, no fruit, but a
whole lot more battle scars.
Honora: Do you
see that, like, nub,
where it kind of
meets the fruit tree?
I might be willing to
shimmy up to that nub.
I mean, if you fail, you're
done with this challenge,
and you're definitely
in the hospital.
Narrator: In the most
remote part of Colombia,
one woman seeks redemption
amongst two confident men
in the toughest survival
challenge ever attempted.
Chris: Mental toughness
is definitely my strength.
I'm a marine vet. I'm a
commercial fisherman.
Pretty confident around water.
Narrator: The last group is
composed of an ex-marine
I might do some yoga.
The best time to
start is right now,
when you're stuck with
a hippie in the woods.
[ Breathing sharply ] Down.
Kind of keeping
your back straight.
[ Breathes deeply ]
Breath into your ribs.
and a wilderness therapist
I like working with plants.
I'm an herbalist back at home.
They'll join forces
with one woman
who has come back to
prove she won't tap out again.
I'm trying to, like, stay calm.
[ Chuckles ]
I don't want to
psych myself out.
My name's Honora,
and I am a massage
therapist and an herbalist.
I've pretty much
been a survivalist
since I was a teenager.
I developed an eating
disorder, and almost killed me.
So I know that if I can find
just, like, a little bit of food
that I can survive.
The hardest thing about Brazil
was that we were dealing
with total starvation.
We were eating like
50 calories a day.
Yeah, I'll eat that.
Amazing. Some protein.
Finding some coconuts would
really restore some
hope, you know?
It would be the
electrolytes that I need.
[ Sobs ]
I only found a small
handful of coconuts
the whole time we were there.
This is the best thing
I've ever had in my life.
My partner and I
had some differences.
[Bleep] I'm not
the fat kid here.
Smells like [bleep] [bleep]
Like, we're
biologically predisposed
to [bleep] hate each other
because, day one, I noticed
that you [bleep] stank, dude.
-Like, you stank.
-Okay, dude.
You're stupid, and you're lazy.
So I'm over it.
I think we had
problems communicating
more than anything.
Basically, we're
not getting along,
and we agreed to divvy
up our building materials.
So you can keep everything.
I'm keeping the palms,
since you carried up only one.
Dude, you're so delusional.
All right, go ahead
and tell yourself that.
It ended up leading to
me overexerting myself
[ Crying ] I need salt.
I need sugar.
I need potassium.
[ Sobbing ] This place is
not conducive to surviving.
to the point where I
basically blacked out.
Can you squeeze my hand?
Can we get a medic
over here now?
She's not responding.
Can you see?
-Honora?
-Honora.
Honora?
Jim: Honora, can you hear me?
Woman: Can you hear us?
Say something to us, please.
Let's go.
We're just trying to
get her to the hospital
as fast as we can.
The hospital's in town.
I've got Honora
unconscious in my lap.
[ Speaking native language ]
I'm just happy to be alive.
I really want to
thrive this time.
I want to -- I want
to make it to the end.
I feel like I can apply that
experience, and this time,
I feel like I have the chance
to kind of redeem myself.
Narrator: Honora
and her teammates
will be inserted at Cao Verde,
a marshy jungle swampland.
It's prime territory for the
country's most notorious snake.
Reaching 30 feet in length
and weighing up to 500 pounds,
the green anaconda
hunts at water's edge,
waiting for unsuspecting prey
it can crush with
its powerful coils.
For the wilderness therapist,
the key to success is a
healthy dose of humility.
Very intense to jump
into something like this,
but you've signed
up for 40 days.
It's hard to fathom
how much time that is.
My name is Luke McLaughlin.
I currently live in
salt lake city, Utah,
and I am a
wilderness field guide.
Here we go. We have flames.
I think the largest
misconception
people have about me
is that I'm this hippie.
In high school,
I was the captain of
three varsity sports teams.
I've always tried to put
myself in a leadership role.
we're not just,
like, unpleasant, like,
"oh, I wish" -- like, cold.
Like, you're shaking
the whole time.
For my first survival challenge,
the toughest thing, hands down,
no question, were
the nights in Namibia,
and it was just miserable.
[Bleep] Cordage is breaking.
Who needs sinew
when you have hair?
Come on!!
[Bleep] Every time.
My previous survival
experience definitely changed me.
You know, for me,
some anger came up.
How the [bleep]
is that not a coal?!
I love the fact that, you know,
whatever you throw at nature,
it bounces right back at you.
My guts' been telling
me try sage on sage today
because it's really hard wood.
You know, hopefully, that works.
Luke: We have fire.
Oh, my god.
Being out in the
wilderness for 21 days,
it really exposed some of that
and helped me kind
of work through it.
[ Sighs ]
Lindsey: It's really awesome.
I tried for days and
days and days, you know,
and this is sort of my thing,
and I guess it was my
ego that was, you know,
making me think
I should do better
and making me feel terrible
and a lot of guilt and shame.
This is my church.
This is my divinity.
For me, it's not about bending
mother nature to your will.
You know, it's about
finding Harmony with it
as much as you can.
21 days was pretty trying.
You know, it's
mentally straining.
40 days is definitely gonna be,
obviously, twice
the amount of time.
So, a 40-day
challenge -- you know,
you're gonna have
to dig a little deeper
and really find out
what you're made of.
My name is Chris. I'm
a commercial fisherman.
I'm from cape may, New Jersey.
Man: Plenty of room
for two naked people.
[ Chuckles ]
Some people run marathons.
Some people do ironmans.
Surviving's my deal.
21 days is a [bleep] lot.
Personally, I
think the worst trait
you can have in a
partner is weak-minded.
Weak-minded is a cancer.
Chris: We are away.
We're away from everybody.
Except for each other.
Chris: I'm that bad?
I know girls that would kill
to be on an island
with me for 21 days.
When I was in Dominica,
I had a partner that --
I don't think she
was really aware
of what the survival
challenge entailed.
I can't hold the
bow, hold the bottom,
and spindle it all myself.
I think you're strong
enough to do the whole thing.
It's not a matter of strength.
-It is.
-No. It's just awkward.
I'm not gonna burn
myself out just so so
I [bleep] hate being
on this island with him.
I want to get the
[bleep] away from him.
I'm so pissed off right now,
I just feel like smashing
this [bleep] camera.
I would never leave
someone behind.
It's just unacceptable.
You know, you're a team.
You never leave
someone out to dry.
If it came down to it, I'd have
no problem surviving by myself.
In Dominica, I did the
last days by myself.
Oh, that baby's smoking.
Oh!
[ Growls ]
My last experience was
humbling in the fact that, you know,
I went in with a
pretty cavalier attitude.
I was just a little
cocky in saying that,
"oh, I'll have fire
in an hour" Yes!
[Bleep] "A"!
where it took 12 days.
Whoo!
You don't even know.
I was confident in my skill set,
but maybe just a
little too confident.
But this next 40
days of survival,
you're actually gonna
have to dig a little deeper.
It's gonna be
extreme weight loss.
It's definitely
gonna wear you thin.
You know, I did the last
challenge for my father --
you know, just to
make him proud.
And you know, I don't think
I have anything to prove
to anybody but myself,
so I'm just gonna do this for me
and just to see
what I'm made of.
Yep. Bummer, man.
She couldn't hack it 'cause
there wasn't enough food.
Narrator: After Chris
lost his partner on day 13,
it was his determination that
got him through his challenge.
Universe, help me.
Help me, please.
Narrator: Honora's recklessness
required a medical evacuation in
she'll have to modify her
approach to last 40 days.
Luke: Sticks now.
We have fire.
Narrator: In Namibia,
Luke earned his elite status
in the African wastelands,
but his ego sometimes
got in the way.
They will start
with an XLR of 7.8.
[ Sniffles ]
Burning this [bleep]
I'm not gonna let you burn that.
Hey, that's mine!
Give that back to me. It's mine.
[ Sighs, sniffling ]
She's got your knife.
You throw that
knife in the water,
and I guarantee you're
gonna have a serious problem.
Her true colors
came out to shine.
And she wants to call
herself a survivalist,
when she knows we're gonna
be here for a 40-day challenge,
and she's trying to sabotage us?
This is some [bleep]
If this happened on the street, somebody
would have got their ass whooped.
Narrator: 12 "Naked
and Afraid" veterans
are about to begin
the most difficult survival
challenge ever attempted.
40 days is an immense
challenge in itself.
[ Shouts indistinctly ]
Man, so much crap in
the jungle has thorns on it.
Everything in the
jungle wants to bite you.
If you do not have
anything left on day 21,
and then you have to
stay for another 20 days,
you're gonna be in
pretty rough shape.
Nothing, right?
Boys We're in hell now.
Something's not right.
I might have got
stung by a scorpion.
I'm not sure.
[ Insects chirping ]
This could get wild.
[ Indistinct shouting ]
Holy We're on full alert.
Big cat just tried
to come in here.
Holy Look at that.
Oh, geez. He's big.
Whatever is making
this paw print, man --
it's what's
stalking us at night.
Jeff: This is a
survival challenge.
You die, or you survive.
Narrator: The series premiere
of "Naked and Afraid XL"
starts Sunday, July 12th,
with a two-hour event
at 9:00 on discovery.