A wild wilderness competition

‘Win the Wilderness’ Netflix series review

By EG Manilag, Staff Writer

Win the Wilderness, a Netflix series, has captured the hearts of thousands in its portrayal of survival in the vast and rugged wilderness of Alaska. The series was initially screened on BBC Two in January before making its way onto Netflix last April. The story centres on a competition for the inheritance of the prized Alaskan property—100 miles from civilization. In the competition, six couples fight against each other to win the beautiful haven.

The huge property, widely known as Ose mountain, was built more than three decades ago by a strong-willed couple named Duane and Rena Ose. This couple, according toDecider, “took advantage of the US Homestead Act and built a three-story home 7000 trees deep in the heart of the unforgiving Alaskan wilderness.” Now that they are getting older and have children and grandchildren that are unwilling to take care of their legacy, they are in search for an eccentric survivalist couple who can bravely do what they did.

What is truly amazing about this show is Duane and Rena’s determination and perseverance. Living almost all of your life in an uncharted area is not easy—in fact, it is exhausting and mostly dangerous. Everyday in the wilderness they face wild beasts. It’s important to recognize that the couple singlehandedly built their huge cabin… not to mention the other amenities they built—such as a barn house. Facing wild beasts while doing a mammoth task like building a home is definitely not for the faint of heart. Building the cabin is just a piece of the pie though. A couple living together alone in the wilderness takes some serious teamwork. It is amazing how Duane and Rena lasted for more than 30 years and are still going strong.

Now, it is up to those six couples to prove their might. Can they survive? Can they handle the challenge? A significant piece of information is that the property cannot be travelled to by foot or land—you must arrive by plane. This makes life harder for those up to the challenge and for those who have never experienced a remote life. Overall, the story gives a good sense of survival expeditions, wildlife, and nature. This might be an encouraging show for those who are willing and interested in experiencing nature in a very authentic way.