A New Reality Show Quietly Redefines What It Means To “Survive”

As nu-reality goes, there’s something weirdly compelling and human about the new Fox reality series Extracted. In fact, the human element might have been an unintended benefit for the executive lackeys who likely greenlit this show, thinking it would feature families tearing each other apart in a control room while their loved ones melted down in nature.

For those unaware, here’s the gist of Extracted: Twelve people are thrown into the wilderness and expected to survive, Alone-style, for as long as possible. However, unlike Alone, these contestants are not survivalists. There’s a hair stylist, a mortgage broker, a teacher, a diesel mechanic, a personal assistant, and an eBay reseller, among others. They’re not exactly cut out for surviving in the woods alone for months.

And that’s where their loved ones come into play. Each contestant has two family members or friends in a control room, and these teams are not only responsible for figuring out how to provide their loved ones with supplies, but they also decide when their player should come home. They determine when their loved one is extracted.

It’s an interesting wrinkle to me because I like to think I’d stay out much longer than I would allow my kid to remain. I wouldn’t want to see my kid starving, cold, or afraid, but I’d expect my kids to leave me out there until a bear ate off one of my arms.

Interestingly, that’s not how it’s playing out so far — only two episodes into the series. First, the families in the control room are surprisingly supportive of each other, even rooting for one another’s loved ones. That may be because it’s still early, but another factor could be the cash prize, $250,000, doesn’t create huge dramatic stakes. Yes, it’s a lot of money, but after taxes and splitting it three ways, each person might end up with around $50,000. That’s life-changing for many, but not worth risking anyone’s life over.

What I find especially interesting is the family dynamics. There are encouraging softies and a few hardasses, and it’s fascinating to see how they assess their loved ones’ situations.

Take Ashley, a Texas woman engaged to, well, an asshole. He and his father are experienced outdoorsmen, and Ashley joined the show to impress them. But she’s struggling — unable to start a fire, frustrated, and dispirited, yet genuinely doing her best. Her fiancé, however, has basically decided she can “suck it up” and deal with it. That’s how he was raised by the man sitting next to him. Interestingly, his father is less of a hardass toward his future daughter-in-law than the future husband.

Then there’s Woody, a retired middle-aged cop who’s doing an OK job, except for the part where he drinks a bunch of lake water. His adult son and nephew have been sweetly responsive. They don’t want to pull him out, but they’re keeping a close eye on him and are ready to act if his health is in immediate danger.

Davina is a hairstylist from Florida with zero outdoor experience. She’s great because she’s not necessarily trying to win; she just wants to prove she can hang. Her sister and stepdaughter are basically hovering over her extract button, but they’re also proud she’s lasted this long (two full days so far). If this show rewarded players for defying expectations, she’d be a shoo-in.

The most interesting team, however, has been 18-year-old Anthony, a model, and his divorced-but-great-co-parenting parents. As a parent, there might be some leeway for your kid to be a jerk at home, but you expect they’d never behave that way in public. In one day, Anthony managed to prove himself an entitled little shit on national television, berating his parents for not giving him the supplies he wanted (despite receiving plenty) and demanding to be removed from the game. His mom, Yolanda, was like, “F**k you. We’re not going to reward this shitty behavior.” His dad, a former NFL player, seemed to agree, but I honestly think he eventually pulled Anthony just to save him from further embarrassment. It was like watching a kid throw a tantrum in a supermarket aisle, his mom saying, “Go ahead,” while his dad decided the groceries weren’t getting bought today and took him to the car. Honestly, it was an impossible situation for both parents. If my child behaved that way, I’d be so embarrassed I don’t know what I’d do except regret forever letting him go on the show.

But that’s exactly why this reality show is far more compelling than it has any right to be. It’s not about who wins or who goes home. I find the way loved ones react to their family members’ suffering extremely telling. It’s an interesting line to toe: You want to be supportive and loving, but you don’t want to let them suffer too much. At the same time, pulling them too early might suggest you don’t have faith in their ability to take care of themselves.

For me, it’s less about the game and more about how parents approach their children, how children approach their parents, and how partners approach their loved ones under trying circumstances. And after just two days, one thing is clear: Ashley, do not marry that man.