Manhunt, Episode 4: Thinning the Herd

The standings are as follows: JK, Wesley, Jesse, James, and Joe: Eliminated; Lyzz, Karen, Mandy, and Romey: 2 hits; Ed: 1 hit; Lucas, Jim, and Nicole: No hits.

Hunters Island, Day 4
Kanan Trail – 6 miles to Safe Zone
The marked members of the group are anxious but determined. Ed says, “I can definitely feel the fear from the people who have a couple of hits. If they get pegged, they’re out. So the more people with two hits, the better chances I have of staying in the game. I want to win.”

It’s time to pick a route. We see another spliced-in map session. According to an expose by The Stingray, the group originally navigated by means of compass readings and markers, not maps. The map scenes were filmed afterwards in California and edited in. Anything we have seen is suspect. Remember how James always wore a bandanna in the camera interviews and not on the trail? That’s because those “on-scene” interviews actually took place in L.A.’s Griffith Park, and the bandanna covered his shaved head. I always wondered why he didn’t use the bandanna he supposedly had with him to cover up that awful half-scalped head of his after Big Tim’s barbering. His little head looked so pitiful bobbing away towards the forest.

The group picks the Money Grove route. We see hunters Big Tim, Rain and Koa sniffing the air. A bizarre hooting sound effect has been added to increase the tension.

Money Grove – 4 miles to Safe Zone
The group stumbles upon a “Survivor-type” challenge. According to Peter Lance of The Stingray, the original Manhunt included several of these bonus challenges. This one consists of large plastic bags full of paper money hung from the branches of two trees. A tall crane-type apparatus is left for the group, along with a message attached to one tree. The message reads “There are 3 fruits come from our tree; what each bears you will have to see. Levers and hooks are how you should choose a price that’s guaranteed you cannot lose.”

Leader Jim explains his decision to stop and retrieve the money. “I saw the crane as an opportunity to work together and win some money.” We can hear Ed say, “I think we’re making a big mistake,” as the other members of the group mess about with the apparatus. Other members quickly grow frustrated with the team dynamics. Preacher Jim actually orders that only “Nicole and Karen talk – that’s it.” Mandy fumes silently, but expresses her frustration to the camera. “Essentially Jim is playing favorites out there, and it’s really starting to bother me. I’m especially frustrated because my voice is not being heard.” Nicole comes over to support Mandy. Ed is not so tactful, “So we had this piece of crap crane. I just started getting pissed off. I thought it was an idiotic waste of time.”

In a piece of unbelievable luck, the hunters have split up and Koa is the only one guarding that route. None of the group appears to be watching for predators, they’re either stewing in anger or trying to snag the loot off the tree branches. Lucas, who is supposed to be on guard, is just playing around. Lyzz tries to remind him of his duties, but he brushes her off. Koa eventually does stumble upon the treasure hunters and they scatter, clutching their money bags. Everyone quickly gets away into the forest, except for limping Lucas. Koa runs him down and Lucas gets his first hit. A cease fire is announced.

Money Grove
The money is counted out and divvied up. Each contestant gets approximately $120. This is not a big payoff for risking possible elimination. And many group members are not happy. “We’re in the jungle – what’re we gonna buy? It was almost pointless,” says Lucas. Jim is oblivious to the anger felt by most of the group. He singles out Karen for praise, saying, “Because of Karen, we got this,” (the money). Mandy rolls her eyes, but doesn’t speak up. We see another spliced-in map scene as the group decides its route.

Bloodstone Pass – 3 miles to Safe Zone
We see the group climbing another rugged trail.

Poison Creek – 2 miles to Safe Zone
The group must cross a very rickety bamboo bridge across a creek. The bridge will only hold one person at a time. The bamboo slats are very slippery and part of the bridge dips into the creek. Nicole says, “There was definitely obstacles set-up throughout the jungle that we were meant to go through and there was no other way to go other than through this obstacle. The whole point was just to get us tired so that when they did attack, we were just wasted.” Sure enough, the hunters have spotted their prey and rush to the scene.

The group encounters another strenuous challenge. The strongest members of the group have been eliminated, so the weaker women who are left struggle to climb a rope-net-covered wall, Boot Camp-style. Mandy points out that she doesn’t want to appear weak so that she is voted into the gauntlet. She’s right to be apprehensive.

Mad Cow Meadow – 1/4 mile to Safe Zone
We see a large meadow that the show’s producers have helpfully filled with a herd of cattle. The cows agitate the group more than the threat of hidden predators. The group huddles under a large tree, too scared to take a step into the bovine-infested meadow. Their real-life enemy watches them through binoculars. Big Tim makes his obligatory reference to “maggots.” He helps them decide what to do by setting off a big loud smoke bomb, which sets off a stampede!

The hunters rush to attack. Rain is cut off by the stampeding cattle. Koa and Big Tim run towards Jim. “This one’s for you Preacher Man,” yells Big Tim. His shot goes wide. Koa fires at Jim as well, and also misses. Jim gets away and hides in the trees. Koa then runs up to limping Lucas who still has his stick. “Remember me brother?” enquires Koa as he hits him for the second time. In the panic to escape, Lucas drops his luck stick. A cease fire is announced.

Lucas is bummed. “It was a tough day for me. I didn’t have any hits – now I’m almost out. I’m barely hangin’ by a string.” But adversity only hardens his resolve. “I can feel it; I can taste it; I can smell it. I wanna win now.”

Safe Zone Camp
Nicole is still rattled by the day’s events. “These hunters were definitely after me, Jim and Lucas. They were waiting for us.” Lucas’ rash remarks of last week have come back to haunt him. “I had no hits when I had my stick, now that my stick is gone, I’ve been singled out and shot at and fight the hardest just to stay in the game. My luck is gone.” Jim is still unmarked. “I chalk it up a lot to luck.” Not to mention superior hiding skills. Must be something he learned in Divinity School.

Jim’s abilities have not gone unnoticed by another devotee of the art of skulking – Mandy. “It kind of bothered me when I saw Jim hiding in the bushes. I think that’s a little cowardly.” She immediately swtiches her focus to the group topic-of-obsession, the prize money. “I’m not trying to be greedy, but that’s the game. It is about the money and I think I’m capable of winning.” Mandy dear, it’s good that you’re finally speaking up, if only to the camera, but attacking Jim for doing something you’re guilty of just shows off your youth and inexperience. You’re just jealous of Jim because he’s gotten away from the hunters and you haven’t.

It’s time for the Gauntlet vote. Mandy launches a preemptive strike. “I think we need to remember that it is a competition and keep that in mind when you’re voting guys. Because when it’s a competition, do we really want to vote one of the weaker people out or do we really need leaders in this game? I kind of felt like I was butting heads with you today Jim. I know that maybe I’m the only one, but I was gonna vote for you just cause you have no hits. I feel that everyone here has a chance and if everyone here has a chance, why not go for it.” She is very pleased with herself, but not for long. Jim looks stunned and responds by saying that he had discussed the vote with the group, and the choice is Mandy. Romey adds that she and Mandy had discussed the “male/female imbalance” and had decided it would be “one or the other” of them. She votes for Mandy as a “team vote.” Ed claims “I was gonna vote for me, but I can’t, so out of pure tactical decision, I will vote for Mandy.” Yeah, right. Lyzz and Nicole won’t vote for Mandy out of friendship. Lyzz tearfully votes for Lucas, stating his rejection of her plea for help. Lucas apologizes to Lyzz saying he “gets like that.”

Mandy is in tears by now. “It never occurred to me that stepping up and voting for Jim would come back and haunt me in the end. But it’s a very cut-throat game.” Welcome to the real world, baby girl.

The gauntlet this time is the most obstructed yet. Ex-executive producer Bob Jaffe has accused Paramount of conspiring to rig this event so that Mandy would not be eliminated. We can see their influence in this course. It definitely favors the contestant. Several closely-spaced large trees run the length of the course. The hunters are positioned a good 100 yards away. According to the rules of the game, Mandy is only allowed two minutes to run the 50 yard course, though this fact is not mentioned in her explanation.

She clutches her tree in fear, unwilling to start her run. The screech of the siren finally startles her into action. The hunters cannot get a clear shot as she darts back and forth between the trees, squawking in fear. Mandy grabs the flag and staggers back to the finish line, the first successful gauntlet runner. No suicide-mission this. Little Mandy gets to keep the flag. Big Tim soundlessly mutters, “son-of-a-bitch.” Interestingly, no post-gauntlet quotes from the hunters are included in this episode. We can only imagine what uncomplimentary things they might have had to say about Paramount’s interference.

The group is ecstatic. Preacher Jim says he’s proud of her and that “it’s the defining moment in her life.” Lucas gets in another dig at the hunters, “The hunters need to go back to hunting school or wherever the hell they came from to learn how to shoot.” Let’s hope the producers don’t share this information with the big guy.

Safe Zone Camp – Day 5
Lyzz, Romey, Lucas, Karen, and Mandy: 2 hits; Nicole and Ed: 1 hit; Jim: No hits. Everyone is in a good mood, feeling like they’ve escaped the executioner’s sword for another day.

Hunter Reload Point
Big Tim announces the day’s strategy, “Yesterday was an embarrassment. Today we stick together. We go after the maggots with 2 marks! I want eliminations, not excuses.”

Crooked Finger Pass – 7 miles to Safe Zone
The hunters set-up an ambush net over the trail and wait for their prey. The bogus map scenes suggest that the group has a choice of two routes. How do the hunters know the group will be coming down this trail if that is true?

The group blindly travels down the trail, a pole-less Lucas trailing behind the rest. Koa fires the first shot and they all fall over the clearly-visible trip wire. A huge net falls down, completely covering the width of the trail. The hunters are waiting on each side of the net. Lyzz sees Rain running towards her and tries to run back through the net. The net gets wrapped around her feet and she falls to the ground. Rain runs up on Lyzz just as she gets to her feet. Rain grabs her by the arm taunting Lyzz by saying, “Is today your lucky day?” as she jerks her around. They both fall to the ground. Rain pulls the paint-ball gun up and aims at Lyzz, who is too stunned to put up a protest. Rain marks Lyzz for the third time. “You’re out of the game girl.” Imagine what the intrepid JK would have done if she was eye to eye with a hunter holding the barrel of a paint-ball gun towards her. Just a little nudge to the side, that’s all Lyzz needed to do. The contestants are so cowed now that the local wildlife intimidates them.

Lyzz uses her new status to help the group’s advance. She watches the hunters’ movements and screams out their position to the others hiding in the woods. Big Tim bellows his frustration to the trees, “I will let you set there all day.” We hear the group’s nickname for Rain. “Don’t surrender to Barbie,” shouts Lyzz, “She’s out of shots.” Koa spies Jim hiding in the trees and fires, missing his shot. Big Tim spots Jim too. Jim’s luck has run out and Big Tim’s shot goes home. Mark number one for Jim. He surrenders to Big Tim to avoid more hits.

The episode ends with Big Tim menacing the hiding group members. “Your leader has been hit and surrendered. I have two marks left – one for each coward hiding up there in the trees. You can run like sheep now.” Jim joins Lucas in woe-is-me land. “I made a big mistake. I should have booked it all the way across, but I stopped.”

Big Tim is apoplectic by now, He bellows, “There’s only one way to your precious Safe Zone and that’s through me. We can stay here all day looooooong!”

Episode 5 – Out of the trees and into the swamp. Will Preacher Jim’s luck hold out?

Melinda Smith is a technical illustrator and writer with a background in graphic arts. She and her family live in Cincinnati, Ohio.

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