The Alaskan Bush People are coming back Sunday, and this season they’re a long way from Browntown.
In Season 8 of the Discovery reality series, the family will be shown making some major adjustments as they make their new permanent home in Washington.
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Following matriarch Ami Brown’s miracle cancer-free diagnosis, the family will be trying to get back to their “bush” way of living while building a new homestead for themselves and adjusting to life in the contiguous United States.
It’s been months since viewers last saw the Brown family on their screens, and with limited social media updates, it may be time for a refresher on where we last left the Alaskan Bush People family. Here’s what you need to know heading into Sunday’s season premiere.
Where we left off
When we last saw the Brown family in Season 7, they were going through a pretty tough time dealing with Ami’s dire cancer diagnosis while also adjusting to life in Southern California, where she was receiving treatment.
Deciding to make their new home in nearby Colorado, at least temporarily, patriarch Billy loaded his family into an RV to take everyone across state lines into the wilderness environment they had missed.
Ami’s Cancer Diagnosis
First given less than a 3 percent chance of living, Ami shocked fans in January when it was announced that she was officially “cancer-free” and living in remission.
The lung cancer that had spread throughout her body will always be a concern for the Browns, and Ami will continue to undergo regular exams to keep track of her health, but it was a major relief for friends and family to know that she would be able to leave behind her life in the hospital and rejoin her family.
Leaving behind Browntown
After Ami’s cancer was discovered to be in remission, the family packed up for a new life in Washington — a long way from Southern California and Colorado, but definitely different than their lives in Alaska.
The Browns are happy to be back in the wilderness, however.
“We never thought we’d be able to find a property like this outside of Alaska,” Bear told PEOPLE prior to the season premiere. “It’s so great to have some good stuff coming our way. Things are starting to look up finally.”
Added Gabe: “It’s just nice to wake up in the morning and feel happy, which for a long time I don’t think any of us did.”
New Challenges
The family is still adjusting to leaving Browntown behind for good and establishing a new homestead in Washington, however.
“I can hardly stand the heat,” Bear told PEOPLE. “And then to have to constantly watch the ground for snakes – that’s a big adjustment from Alaska.”
And while there aren’t the large bears in the area that inspired the Brown son’s nickname, Billy said the family was “pretty tickled” to find two “itty bitty” bears during their time in Washington.
“We’ve got mountain lions here! How cool is that?!” Billy added of the area’s fauna. “It feels like home again because we have to watch our backs.”
Ami’s Journey
Ami may be out of the woods (figuratively, of course) when it comes to her health, but the battle with cancer left her weakened, she admitted to PEOPLE.
“To be out of the city and in the mountains is a blessing in itself and being given second chance is great,” Ami said, admitting she feels “better than I have in a lot of years, but I still don’t have all my strength back yet.”
She added that even a short trip to a nearby meadow left her shaking recently.
“It kind of wore me out,” she said. “I hadn’t done that much physical stuff in quite a while. Billy said he could feel my legs shaking.”
“It scared me to death,” added Billy. “She’d been doing so good – it was almost like back to normal and then I just had to hold her walking up the hill and I could feel her knees shaking like crazy. We just have to remember to take it easy and it’s never going to be like it was, but it’s getting almost there.”
Bam Bam’s Boat
After distancing himself from his family in Season 6 after falling in love with one of the former producers of the reality series, Allison Kagan, Joshua “Bam Bam” Brown has found a new passion — restoring a “luxury yacht.”
In November, he revealed on Facebook that he and Kagan had moved to South Carolina to restore a 100-foot-long barge called The Osprey.
“Alli searched and found the old ferry just before she was going to be sold for scrap! We have been gutting and renovating her ever since. It’s been a blast…Alli has great artistic vision and huge plans for the renovation,” he wrote on Facebook at the time.
Noah’s Wedding
There have also been some recent Bush People nuptials that might make the season.
Despite his ongoing tension with his family, Noah Brown wed his now-wife Rhain earlier this week, with his family reportedly in attendance.
“We are so excited to start our new life together as husband and wife and we look forward to building new memories as our own family,” the couple told PEOPLE. “God bless everyone for all of the love and support.”
How to Watch
Season 8 of the Discovery reality series will return Sunday, Aug. 19 at 8 p.m. ET, then air in the same timeslot during subsequent weeks.
For fans unable to watch it live, the episodes will stream online at Discovery’s website following the initial air date.
Photo credit: Discovery
