Alone: Frozen Facts To Know So You're Not Left Out In The Cold

On the back of the successful reality survival show "Alone," the creators have launched the spinoff series "Alone: Frozen." Before you get the wrong idea, this isn't something nice and light, like the Disney-animated musical hijinks we've all come to associate with the word "Frozen." This show follows six past contestants of "Alone" as they're dropped into northern Labrador in eastern Canada for 50 days during the depths of winter. Our brave cast is as follows: Greg Ovens (Season 3), Woniya Thibeault (Season 6), Callie Russell (Season 7), Mark D'Ambrosio (Season 7), Amós Rodriguez (Season 7), and Michelle Finn (Season 8).

Since the beginning of "Alone," viewers have been shown contestants battling the worst challenges, many resulting in lasting health issues and even PTSD. Just when you think it can't get any worse, the intro proclaims that this version of the show is "The most difficult and dangerous survival experience ever attempted." As with any reality TV series, what we see onscreen is not always necessarily the full story, so let's dig down into the truth of "Alone: Frozen," exploring the perspectives of some of the contestants in their own words. Spoilers ahead if you've yet to delve in.

With this show being a spinoff of the original, and the concept requiring experienced contestants, the creators decided to bring back previous participants ranging from Season 3 all the way to Season 8 — a unique development for the "Alone" franchise. The first time around, the competitors were unaware of exactly what they were getting themselves into; this time, they'd already done it once — and they still agreed to come back. This has been a recurring theme in recent years, with numerous reality television series bringing back contestants for a second chance or redemption. We see this with other shows such as "RuPaul's Drag Race" and "America's Next Top Model," but "Alone: Frozen," as an extreme survival show, is on another level entirely.

Winner Thibeault heavily documented her experiences surrounding "Alone: Frozen," and in a YouTube video introducing the show, she explains, "You don't understand the long-term consequences to your body when you go out the first time." Ahead of their brave returns, our contestants have a deeper understanding. Thibeault also recorded episode-by-episode reviews, and in her Episode 1 video, she commented that "PTSD comes up for you ... you go out again and your body and your nervous system are saying what are you doing to us? Your body remembers it as traumatic." This uncovers a side of this show that viewers may not immediately consider — namely, how taxing it will become for these survivalists. Does it go beyond what could be considered moral entertainment?

For many viewers, Michelle Finn's decision to return for "Alone: Frozen" was as difficult to understand as it was easy to admire. It's worth considering, however, that returning contestants may see this potentially dangerous opportunity through rose-tinted glasses. Like anything that has a profound impact on us in some way, our memories of such an event can become skewed. Thibeault discussed this in a YouTube video, explaining, "I think it's similar to childbirth ... where you forget some of the really hard parts and just remember all of the love and the glory ... that is definitely true of 'Alone' too."

In addition to the haze of memory, their willingness to return may also come from an increased confidence; Thibeault has explained how she felt she had more "experience, plus a lot more studying and learning." It might just be that these natural survivors and thrill-seekers will jump in no questions asked. After all, it is quite common for people to keep having babies despite the risks that come along with it. Everybody's different.

From the beginning of the show, one of the most important things for contestants of "Alone" has been their connection to the outside world. For many, this is partners, children, family, friends, and pets. When you put yourself in their shoes, would you want to leave someone you love for so long with no contact? It's beyond brave. For "Alone: Frozen" competitors Mark and Amos, joining the show meant leaving their very young children behind. As new fathers, they had to make the very difficult choice to enter the competition or remain at home.

Before the official launch, they were able to talk with their children on Zoom and have some last-minute bonding before the challenge began. In Thibeault's episode one recap, she mentioned that "I know what a big deal it was for both of those guys to be away from their young children." Mark, particularly, was vocal about his reservations in regard to going out for a second time. Ultimately, it became the reason that Mark tapped out in Episode 1, as Thibeault explained. Going on "Alone: Frozen" is a brave mission, but there is perhaps something braver about leaving to be a dedicated parent.

As the title of the series suggests, the most unique element in "Alone: Frozen" is the weather. For this spinoff, contestants were dropped in northern Labrador in eastern Canada just as winter was hitting its peak. This meant a number of extreme weather conditions — chiefly that it was considerably colder than these contestants (not to mention most people on Earth) were used to.

In Thibeault's YouTube recap series, she talked about the weather, and what posed the biggest challenge for her. She emphasized that wind remains the most difficult challenge to navigate, as it makes even the smallest of tasks much more difficult. This video, a recap of Episode 6, also marked when the snow first arrived for our brave group of survivalists. As viewers, we would probably assume the worst if we were stuck in the middle of nowhere in the freezing cold snow. However, Thibeault claimed that while it did make survival more "challenging," it was also surprisingly a huge benefit when it came to hunting animals, as the contestants were able to see the "movements" of their prey.