I don’t typically relinquish the remote control to Hubby, but every now and again, he manages it to wrangle it from my grip and turns to Discovery.
Without fail, it’s usually Mythbusters, Dirty Jobs, Man vs. Wild, Deadliest Catch, or some nature show. It’s not that I’m bored when I’m forced to watch; on the contrary, I find a lot of the stuff compelling. I would rather just catch a dance competition show, sitcom or drama instead.
But Bear Grylls, whose knowledge and skills astound me, has a new show and it’s more gripping than any suspense show out there. Worst-Case Scenario asks if you would know what to do if you’re caught in a sticky situation — and that’s sugar-coating it.
If it’s a matter of life or death, could you think and react quickly? Bear makes the situations look easy, whether it’s a car’s brakes failing, an elevator going into freefall, stuck in a sinking vehicle, being bitten by a snake or getting chased by angry dogs. Even though you’re well aware of Bear’s renowned survival skills — not to mention all the people who are there to help in a moment’s notice who are out of camera range — the scenes are still packed with suspense. Each episode is filmed like a movie (dramatic music included) and even though you know everything’s going to be OK, there’s still a good amount of tension there.
In the first episode, Bear shows what to do if you witness a boating accident. This example wasn’t super-convincing to me, only because there’s a working Jet Ski floating around, so the situation isn’t as tense.
But the first scenario involves a burning vehicle, and it’s intense. It’s scary when Bear says “Sometimes a closed door is all that separates a victim from a survivor.” But he shows what to do. Here’s a few things I learned:
Avoid breaking the windshield. The front window is the strongest so go for the side ones instead.
Protect airways from smoke. Close the vents so as not to allow more smoke from entering the vehicle. Plus, a damp cloth/shirt to cover nose and mouth will buy you some time.
A broken mirror works as a makeshift knife. You always see on TV or in a movie, someone’s seatbelt is stuck. Here’s a way to cut through that.
Avoid broken glass or sharp edges to avoid further injury. This seems like an obvious one, but if you’re panicky, one wrong move and you could have a whole other situation on your hands.
Move at least 75 feet away from vehicle. Or as far as you can get, just in case an explosion occurs.
Life is unpredictable and can easily take a turn for the worse. Worst-Case Scenario may be a more urban take on his survival situations on Man Vs. Wild, but that just makes it more vital to watch. Everyone should watch this and learn a thing or two (or 10) from Bear.
If you were in a worst-case scenario, would you know what to do? denette@tvguide.ca or comment below.
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Worst-Case Scenario premieres Wednesday, Sept. 1, 9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. ET/11 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. PT on Discovery.
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