History Channel Episode 7 Only, season 9, takes place during days 34-43. Seven contestants remain at the beginning of the episode.
This is a recap and review of episode 7. At the end, I will provide some guesses as to who will last until the end and who could successfully hunt a bear.
Spoilers to follow!
jessi
As usual, Jessie is working in her shelter. She made a water reservoir system to collect rainwater from her roof and finished filling in the walls. While her shelter (aka cabin) is impressive, I’m also not sure if it’s a good use of time. She maybe she realized she was getting too big but it was too late to change it, or maybe she is a bit of a perfectionist!
Jessie talks about how this kind of life—alone and off the ground—it strips you of your basic self, how when all the comforts are gone, you can be who you really are. She also thinks a fox is after her squirrels, so we’ll see what happens with that next time!
Adam
Adam started off his segments in a pretty good way.—Heard a grouse while chopping wood and managed to catch not only this one, but a second one!
He talks about missing his family, but how he feels closer to them. because he misses them. Soon after, she doesn’t have time to miss them anymore, because she stumbles upon a stranded piece of an old dock! She seems like the kind of person who needs a task, so she takes to reusing the boards and nails to make a proper bench and door for her cabin. He says, “old dock door, old moss house,” to which I say, “pretty good digs!”
Thomas
We find Tim making a lamp for the inside of his shelter out of a 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 is still very grateful to be there. He manages to catch a squirrel, a grouse, and finds a bunch of berries in one trip, which rejuvenates him a bit. He then cooks the squirrel completely on a skewer, using the fire to remove the skin. As he does so, he explains how it is essential to focus on the conservation aspects of hunting.
Unfortunately, Tom has some problems near the end of the episode. As he finishes sheltering him, he falls and hits his back quite hard against a sharp stump. He also keeps falling and seems to have a hard time getting up. Although he has traps for whiskeyjacks and found lichen, he needs to eat more or he could be in serious trouble.
karie lee
Karie Lee’s segment was a cooking class on how to make fruit leather! This is essentially crushed, crushed fruit that is ready for storage when it comes off the side of the pot into thick slices.
Karie Lee also talks about her mother’s birthday and pretends to have made her a birthday cake. She is clearly in a good mood, which is heightened when she finds a fat squirrel in her trap, which she eats for dinner.
In my opinion, the only thing about Karie Lee that stops her from being a top contender is that her shelter seems very open and windy, which can be difficult in the winter. On the other hand, Karie Lee has lived in the bush for years and years, so maybe the cold doesn’t bother her. 
timemojin
As a Canadian, I really appreciated Tiemojin’s makeshift Canada flag that hangs in his shelter.
After this show of patriotism, Tiemojin goes hunting. He misses the first two shots, but on the third he manages to score Cena. While cleaning up the corpse, he divulges childhood memories of him and moves on to the subject of his mother. He explains her life when he was growing up and how she said that she would always be proud of him as long as he was happy with what she was doing. Her motivation to become her doctor was to help her, but now he just wants to inspire her to enjoy her life. Awww, Tiemojin!
terry
Terry begins 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 hunting that beaver and continuing to eat the fat for the past 13 days.
Terry’s segments involve his struggle with lack of food. He can’t fish, he can barely walk and he gets seasick if he stands up too quickly. He also begins to have stomach pains. Perhaps aware of what lies ahead, he spends a few moments contemplating his situation, stating that “seeking solace robs the soul of resolve,” and how he loves being where he is.
Unsurprisingly, at his standard medical check-up he is told that he is being removed for medical reasons. He is clearly heartbroken by this, apologizing for “failing”, but soon states that he has no regrets about the actions he took and what he experienced.
All in all, a bittersweet ending for Terry and the episode!
my review
Now that Terry has been kicked off the podium, I’m betting Jessie, Adam, or Tiemojin will make it to the final spot, based on their shelters and ability to catch food.
Juan Pablo was missing—or drinking unboiled water got him out, or we’ll see him with a bearskin next time!
The next episode airs July 14 on the History Channel.
