Why Some Gold Rush Fans Are Worried About Parker Schnabel

Now in its 12th season on Discovery, the reality show thrill ride known as "Gold Rush" remains one of the network's most beloved original series. And for the bulk of the show's small screen run to date, young Parker Schnabel has been the clear fan favorite among the show's gold-hungry bosses. Schnabel famously joined the cast of the show before he even graduated from high school, and has indeed gone on to become not only one of the most successful miners in the "Gold Rush" landscape, but the face of the series to boot.

Of course, "Gold Rush" fans currently entrenched in the show's 12th season know it's often been a challenging one for Parker Schnabel and his crew. And even as his stakes continue to produce their share of the gold stuff, fans can't help but notice the usually amenable Schabel has been seen less and less as the season has progressed. Even when he is around, some fans feel Schabel has been more than a little bit distracted. So much so that some "Gold Rush" die-hards are actually starting to worry about their favorite "Gold Rush" miner. 

In fact, Reddit user No-Sorbet-8356 is so worried about Parker Schnabel, they started an entire "What's Wrong With Parker?" thread to talk it over with other "Gold Rush" fans. And they opened the conversation with a post reading, "This whole season, Parker has seemed extra distant. He hides in his hoodie during gold weighs and seems uncomfortable around the other guys. He may just be stressed..."

They're not alone in noticing the stark change in Schnabel's demeanor. While Redditor bottom's post stating, "Parker hates filming" chalks the change up to the miner being over starring in a hit TV, others aren't so sure. User K0ND0IT actually believes this season's struggles are finally taking a toll on the young prospector, posting, "till this most recent weigh he was looking down the rough end of being millions and millions in the hole without surety that it was going to pay off."

User drgreenthumb87 clearly agrees, noting the pressure of running a business in the public spotlight is probably also weighing on Schnabel, "Nothing is 'wrong' with him. He's not a professional actor... The guy's running a multi-million dollar company and doing it on TV, he's human." Meanwhile, TimD_43 thinks the thrill of the "Gold Rush" hunt may be wearing off as Schnabel's enterprise continues to grow, offering, "Parker is no longer the kid playing in the dirt, he's spending most of his time in an office, dealing with paperwork and budgets and payrolls and worrying about what will happen if his plans don't work out the way he hopes they will."

Whatever the case, "Gold Rush" fandom clearly remains concerned over Parker Schnabel's well-being.