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Food Desperation Hits on RACE TO SURVIVE: NEW ZEALAND Episode 2 Recap
May 27, 2024Let the Wars Begin! RACE TO SURVIVE: NEW ZEALAND Premiere Episode Recap
USA Network premiered its second season of survival competition series, this time in New Zealand called “Race to Survive: New Zealand.” Last year viewers got to enjoy a variety of personalities in teams of two roughing through the race in the extreme conditions of Alaska.
This year it’s in New Zealand. The premiere episode layed-out a course which looks just as rugged and demanding with a cast of teams who seem to get along enough, but with some obvious differences. It should all make for a really entertaining season.
One racer said “New Zealand is a monster. It can eat you up and spit you out.” The stretch of the race is 150 miles. These adventurers must get through it in a timeline of 40 days and be the first team to cross the finish line to win the grand prize of a half million dollars.
What they must endure to get there is, according to the narration, “some of the harshest terrain on the planet.”
Then, the bad news! Last season, the teams were given rations of food consistently throughout the race upon completing each leg of the race. This time…well, things have changed. Now they must earn their own food.
Pictured: (l-r) Oliver Dev, Spencer “Corry” Jones, Ashley Paulson — Photo by: Brian Finestone/USA Network
They must “earn” this food at the risk of falling behind in the race. Because to obtain each crate of food ration throughout the race, they must go off of the race path and on a detour that costs them time. In this race, it’s all about getting, and then maintaining the lead advantage.
Their first race was called “Water and Ice” that would challenge the teams over 20 hours to finish.
THE WINS:
The first team out of nine that finishes in the first race gets access to a crate holding “reward items.” Other teams who finish in a timely manner get medallions that allow them to proceed to the next race. The very last team is the one to get eliminated.
THE TEAMS:
This season is full of a mix of personalities who are paired together into nine teams, prior to coming onto the show, for different strategic reasons.
They include couples, friends, exes, and family. One couple, Emilo and Heather met at a gym and are from Rhode Island. Emilo is the oldest in the race at 56-years-old. Viewers see some drama ensuing from these two later.
Oliver and Corry, who are River Guides, took the lead right away. Oliver is seriously committed to this race because, as he stated in his interview, he told his friends and family that if he and Corry don’t win, they’re not coming back home.
Pictured: (l-r) Paulina Pena, Creighton Baird — Photo by: Daniel Allen/USA Network
Then there’s divorced couple Creighton and Paulina who are “adventure athletes” and entered the race before their divorce. They provide for a lot of pretty awkward confessional interviews in episode one and are sure to provide for more interesting content if they can last.
Another couple, Kennedy and Nik who are “Canadian Roughnecks” and seem to have a real shot at winning. Don’t underestimate Kennedy, whose arms challenge some of the toughest males. They met through Kennedy’s ex husband!
Nik and Kennedy described their union as living on the edge and “climax buddies.”
Steffen and Mikhail are both rock climbers from Brooklyn and were in eighth place.
Possibly the most intriguing of the bunch are a father-in law and son-in-law team. Bronsen is a real life cowboy who grew up on a farming ranch. His biggest motivation for the race is to not let his father-in-law, Ryan, down.
First in the race Tyrie and Ethan opted to take a one mile detour to gather one day’s worth of food rations. In second place was Oliver and Corry who also went for the food along with every team except two.
Pictured: (l-r) Ethan Greenberg, Tyrie Mann Merrill — (
Photo by: Brian Finestone/USA Network
GAME PLAY:
Cringe moments for racers in their game play are when they are blatantly being passed by another team. And when teams cross in opposite directions! Ugh! It means one team is going the wrong way.
Self labeled the “odd couple” are Coree and Jeff who are ultra marathoners. Coree is an openly gay black man who chose Jeff as his race partner because he is someone he trusts the most.
Pictured: (l-r) Coree Woltering, Daniel “Jeff” Watterson — Photo by: Daniel Allen/USA Network
After breaking from some much needed sleep and food, the team’s had to trek the next part of the race that included a narrow gap between rocks in a river less than a foot wide, 11″ to be exact. The worst part was the next food ration required an hour delay off of the path.
Some drama erupted when Emilo fell behind and Heather didn’t bother to check on him while he lagged behind.
Corry and Oliver had the strategy of stocking up as much food rations as possible in order to last the longest in the overall race.
The Brooklyn climbers Steffan and Mikhail were having a rough time with not having sleep or food for the last two days and were in second to last place. But Emilo and Heather, who were dead last, were quickly working to close that gap.
The episode ended on a cliffhanger, with the team in the lead getting wiped-out in their water raft after hitting a rock, which will possibly cost them their lead. No teams were eliminated in the first episode.
“Race to Survive: New Zealand” airs Mondays on USA Network at 11 pm ET/PT.
