Another group of survivalists will be challenged in Outlast. Netflix renewed the new hit reality series for a second season in May. The first season saw a group of survivalists working together to complete challenges in the Alaskan wilderness during eight episodes.
Season 2 will introduce viewers to 16 more survivalists who are used to working alone. However, they must work as a team to win the $1 million prize. The series is executive produced by Jason Bateman, Michael Costigan, and Emma Ho of Aggregate Films; and Grat Kahler of Nomad Entertainment. Mike Odair serves as the showrunner and an executive producer.
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“Outlast is about people’s self-preservation versus their loyalty to others,” Kahler told Netflix’s Tudum in March. “It’s greed and desire to win versus compassion and empathy. I think everyone has that angel and demon on their shoulders.” Unlike Survivor, the contestants are not voted out. They only leave when they fire off a flare gun and quit the competition.
Season 1 ended with Charlie camp – made up of Seth Lueker, Paul Preece, and Nick Radner – winning the big prize. “Me, Paul, and Seth were all ready to die out there,” Radner told Tudum. “I’m dead serious. We were ready to die or get evacuated because we would not go home or fire that gun.”
Charlie’s team began with Radner, Lueker, Andrea Hilderbrand, and Angie Kenai. Hilderbrand left during the first episode after she got sick from drinking stagnant water. Preece left Delta camp to join the team. Kenai later joined, but left during Episode 6 due to a bowel obstruction. Preece, Radner, and Lueker then built a close bond as the rest of the season went on, working together to do whatever it takes and win.
“You can’t have a team without communication,” Lueker told Tudum. “There was never any arguing or bickering. Everyone agreed that if they had a problem, they’d put it on the table right away. We scratched it before it became a big problem.”
During the last days of the competition, the team faced a food shortage and wet feet. They also didn’t know when the game was going to end. After the competition ended and they were crowned champions, Lueker admitted that all he cared about was eating a ham sandwich someone gave him. “That ham sandwich was all that was on my mind at that moment,” he said. “That, and my family.”
