‘Alone’ Season 9 Episode 11 Recap: “Fight, Flight or Freeze” Finale

Alone Season 9 Contestants
The season nine ‘Alone’ contestants (Photo by: Brendan George Ko)

The History Channel’s Alone season nine finishes up with episode 11, “Fight, Flight or Freeze.” The episode begins on Day 62 with three survivalists remaining in the challenge. By the time episode 11 ends, one of the three contestants – Karie Lee, Juan Pablo, or Teimojin – has made it through Day 78 and emerged as the season’s winner. (I’m withholding naming the winner until the end of this recap, just in case anyone accidentally reads this prior to watching the episode.)

The History Channel’s Alone season nine marked the first time 10 contestants attempted to survive the winter in the Labrador, Canada wilderness. The area’s known as polar bear country, however, it wasn’t predators that gave the season nine survivalists a hard time. Instead, the weather and lack of food took their toll on the participants.

Alone Season 9 Teimojin
‘Alone’ Season 9 competitor Teimojin (Photo by: Brendan George Ko / The History Channel)

Teimojin, Age 31, Montreal, CAN

Day 62: It’s only 14 degrees and 12 inches of snow have fallen overnight as Teimojin stands outside his shelter and catches snowflakes in his mouth. The area’s incredibly quiet and he admits to feeling really tired. He ate a pot of food last night, but he’s still weak as he heads a short way up the hill to fetch firewood.

Teimojin’s lost 54 pounds since the challenge began.

He’s only capable of carrying one bundle of firewood and realizes he’s got about 40 minutes of work a day in him at this point. His body’s weak but his head and his heart remain in the game.

Day 63: It’s slightly warmer at 17 degrees as Teimojin confesses this is the weakest he’s felt. He retrieves some water and nearly takes a tumble on his way back to his shelter. Teimojin’s walking at a snail’s pace and even that is a struggle.

Fortunately, he slept well and his last thoughts before he drifted off were of his mom welcoming him home at the airport. He really wants his mom to be inspired by what he’s doing. The area’s giving him joy, he loves the beauty of this land, and hopes to share this with his mom. He pledges to be a better son.

Teimojin has one final trick up his sleeve, dedicating his next move to the Canadian Grenadier Guards. At age 17 he saw a statue of a lion with a shield and decided he really wanted to help people. The statue turned out to be the Canadian coat of arms and he joined the army and has since been walking a path toward those who need his help.

He uses his tarp as a wrap as he gathers all his items, including the flag he flies over his shelter. The bundle he’s just created will be used as a sled. It turns out Teimojin has decided to tap but wants to walk down to the water on his own, rather than have someone come to fetch him.

“Leaving standing tall – I think that’s what my mom needs to see,” says Teimojin as he pushes his bundle up a small hill.

He has clarity now and knows what he’s meant to do and who he wants by his side while he’s doing it. He makes it to the river and officially taps out.

Alone Season 9 Karie
‘Alone’ season 9 competitor Karie (Photo by: Brendan George Ko / The History Channel)

Karie Lee, Age 57, Sandpoint, ID

Day 62: Karie wastes energy having a snowball fight with herself, and chuckles about wasting calories. She’s lost 49 pounds since Day 1 and is ready to find another squirrel. She’s hopeful there’s a frozen squirrel in her traps under the snow.

Karie’s plan remains to open a wilderness school and she’s already financed 13 acres of land. She’s going to move her yurt there and build her first real house since she left home at 18. Her yurt will be used as an indoor classroom. The $500,000 Alone prize money would pay off her land and start her school.

Karie spots bunny tracks and follows them. It’s snowing as she sees a squirrel and takes a shot. Unfortunately, it’s a miss. She admits she’s surprised she even took that shot since she’s weak and pulling the bow takes a lot of energy.

Her search for her arrow is unsuccessful and her stomach’s hurting from lack of food.

Day 66: The sun’s shining as Karie has a breakfast of warm water and fruit leather. She has to eat the fruit leather in small amounts or else her stomach hurts.

Karie heads out to do a little hunting and spots more snowshoe hare tracks in the snow. She’s worried about having the strength to pull her bow and decides to head back to camp, warning herself not to cry.

She’s there for those who can’t be, including her friend Collette who has cancer and requested she dedicate her journey to her. Her friend’s goal is to live long enough to see Karie on Alone. If Collette can handle what she’s going through, then Karie knows she can handle the fruit leather and the cold.

Day 67: Karie heads out to get alder to make snow skis. She plans on using them to help her track hares. She confesses she’s close to feeling like she’s done, and now she needs to decide what to do next. Should she hunker down or push herself to get food?

Since she’s gathered the wood for skis, she opts to work on making her skis so she can hunt.

Day 68: Although she can’t stay warm, Karie’s mind is back in the game. “I am not thinking about tapping out,” she notes, recommitting herself to continue. She’s hoping to finish the skis tomorrow.

Day 69: She’s tired and thinks it might be the perfect day to make tea and sleep.

Day 70: She still hasn’t finished the skis and will take the day moment-by-moment.

Day 71: Morning arrives, and Karie’s body is achy. She didn’t get much sleep but is still not ready to tap.

Day 72: It’s midday and Karie’s in bed and can’t stay warm.

Day 74: Karie’s shelter door is covered with a blanket of snow, and it takes a little effort to open it. She’s basically living in an igloo at this point. Her spirit’s good but she’s not sleeping and her body’s tired. Karie feels like crying and although she should look for animal tracks, she doesn’t have the energy.

Karie becomes emotional and apologizes for crying. She briefly walks back inside her shelter and returns with a sign that reads, “Do Your Dream.” (It was the one picture/photo she was allowed to bring.) It took her years to get to this place, but her dream is deeper than just the show. She jokes that maybe she’s done today but then quickly says no. She’s determined to stay a while longer.

Day 75: Karie’s in her shelter with the radio in her lap. She’s craving healthy food and knows she can’t possibly use her bow at this point. She tears up, realizing she can’t get any food. “It’s just time to take care of myself,” she says, adding, “I’m going to. I know this is the right thing.”

She’ll remember this experience for the rest of her life. Karie feels blessed to know this land. Her heart pounds as she hears the helicopter and she’s overcome with emotion as she says, “I get to go home!”

This experience has been a right of passage and she’s now ready to accept that she’s an elder. She’s going home with a lot of newfound wisdom.

Alone Season 9 Juan
‘Alone’ season 9 competitor Juan (Photo by: Brendan George Ko / The History Channel)

Juan Pablo, Age 30, Pinawa, CAN

Day 62: Juan’s hungry but that’s the least of his problems. Icicles are destroying his tarp, and holes are appearing in it allowing the cold air and rain/snow in. He sews a patch as he explains he’s committed to winning this for his partner, Jennifer. He wants to buy a house, get married, and start a family.

Juan recognizes there are really two choices: walk out of the wilderness or hunker down. He’s chosen to hunker down and fast. It’s been 11 days since he’s eaten, but he’s still got his sense of humor as he points out his patch looks like a five-year-old did it.

Day 64: It’s 15 degrees and Juan plans to make some warm tea. The river’s not good for ice fishing or walking yet and is super icy. He carefully retrieves a pan of water and notes that this cold can wear people down. Today will be the first time he’s built a fire in his shelter since he built his stove 62 days ago.

He’s marking the time in the wilderness by setting different milestones, giving him something to look forward to as well as changing things up.

Juan made a mallet on Day 23 and now he uses it along with his ax to cut some of the firewood he previously gathered and stored in his tent. He starts his first fire and declares he’s completely invested in winning Alone.

Not long after announcing he’s doing everything by the book, safety-wise, he fills his tent with smoke from his first fire. (He definitely jinxed himself!) The paint cans he used to build the fireplace are letting off a weird smell and he believes the smoke is toxic. Juan’s forced to open the door to clear the air so he doesn’t get sick.

Juan admits he’s upset since he was really looking forward to his first fire. Now, he feels sick and his head hurts.

Juan’s forced to waste energy trying to get the smoke out of his shelter. He realizes he’ll have to redo his stove since the paint cans were such a bad idea. Fortunately, he saved other cans that he can use to replace the paint cans.

It’s a huge job but he really doesn’t have a choice at this point. He fills in gaps in the reconstructed stove with mud and this time his fire doesn’t let off toxic smoke. It’s night before he’s finished, and he steps outside to make sure the chimney’s working. Everything seems to be just fine and he’s happy he was able to solve the problem.

Day 67: Juan grabs the camera because he thinks he just saw a polar bear. He’s never seen one before and uses the zoom on the camera to verify what he saw. He can’t find the bear again, and now he thinks his mind’s playing tricks on him.

He fetches more water as his mind and body tell him it’s just another day at the office. All he does is get water and then do nothing.

Day 68: Juan’s back hurts and he admits he’s being sloppy when it comes to tending his fire. The effort has been a drain and he almost cuts himself while chopping more wood. He reminds himself he needs to focus on what he’s doing.

Day 69: Juan laughs as he reveals he’s at the part of his journey where he’s feeling cuckoo.

Day 70: He’s in full starvation mode as he sits by the river. He thinks there might still be a long time to go and is worried about his body deteriorating.

Day 72: It’s 12:15am and Juan has no idea why he’s up recording. He tells himself to go to bed. Before he turns the camera off, he asks, “What am I doing with my life?”

3:49pm and Juan’s in bed, eyes wide open, just staring straight ahead.

Day 73: Juan spots a mouse in his shelter but doesn’t kill it. He thinks he’s got low blood pressure right now and says it’s been an ordeal, but it’s also been a blur. He decides to take his first walk in a long while, hoping he’ll be much better mentally afterward.

He walks over the now-frozen river with his ice chisel, and it gives him joy to finally be able to safely do so. He’s decided when he gets home, he’ll propose.

Day 78: He’d like a day of full sleep, without even getting up to get water. He’s about to doze off when his alarm beeps, telling him a med check team is on its way. He’s worried because he’s dehydrated and thinks he’ll be medically tapped out.

He gets busy hydrating and making a fire, hoping he can convince the medical team he’s okay to continue. A chopper swoops in as he’s drinking, and Juan believes he’s down at least three liters.

They weigh him and examine his body, going through the whole check while he continues to worry he’s going to be pulled. They ask how he’s feeling, and he describes the area and the situation as similar to where he lives with his girlfriend.

As he’s speaking, we see Jennifer walking in the snow toward his camp.

Juan explains he’s feeling at home and really enjoyed the view while he was just out walking on the ice. He’s getting emotional while talking about planning since Day 1 to walk on the ice. He doesn’t notice Jennifer coming up behind him. She gathers him up in a huge hug and has the honor of telling him he won!

He’s so glad they brought her and that she’s there, and he quickly explains he thought he saw a polar bear but was wrong – just like on one of their camping trips.

They kiss and he gives her a tour of his shelter.

Juan can’t stop smiling as he and Jennifer hold hands and walk across the ice. He can’t believe he won half a million dollars and can fulfill their dreams. “It feels so liberating,” says Juan. “Jennifer is an amazing person. She’s everything to me.”

Juan’s not sure when he’s going to propose but he’s going to plan something to make her feel special.

He put a lot of heart into this competition. “My biggest takeaway from this experience is your soul matters, having a strong mission in life matters, and that your life experience really matters,” explains Juan. He’s proud of lasting 78 days and aware he’s really achieved something.

Juan Pablo is the first Latino to win Alone.