10,000BC - Episode 9 - Biggest Betrayal Of The Family

10,000 BC Episode 8

*For a brief background to the show, a who's who, and who is still participating  please scroll to the bottom.

The end is in sight .....but not for everyone.

Day 43

10 days to go and winter has arrived properly. The entire tribe is now sleeping in the communal bed. They are on strict rations that are only half a daily recommend allowance of calories for adults. 

Roxy, the production medic, attends the camp to check that the tribe are not becoming malnourished and causing irreparable damage to their bodies. I know this is the least of their problems but as they hold the equipment for Roxy you can see the dirt under the their finger nails. Its full on cringe.

After the assessment Roxy is most worried about Mike as his body seems to be in shutdown. No surprise because, from what we have seen, he is the only one that hasn't taken a day off.

Mike has started a tally calendar on the beams on the main shelter, so they can see how long they've got left / how long they've already done. This sends Paul into an irrational rage and he storms off into the woods.

Paul builds a hide to ambush the boars the following dawn. He uses as acorns as bait and I hope for his sake that he isn't using horns from the rations because Mel will have his guts for garters. To be honest I can see the rangers letting him go through with this when they wouldn't let JP trying kill one with a bow and arrow.

Paul goes back to camp to prepare a slow burning torch but when Mike turns up (looking like Jamaroqui) and asks what he he is going to do with all the cording, Paul throws another paddy and storms off into the woods. When he comes back he tells Mike that he feels the time he spent on this wasted experiment is time he could have spent with his family.

The Burdock Whisperer (JP) leads Jodie and Josie to the  giant burdock patch (this would make great Roald Dahl Story). During the trek he is overheard, by the crew, pestering Jodie to tell her mum something.

When the crew catch up with them it comes to light that Paul was touching up Jodie in the night. It started with him tickling her hands, then her belly. He then put his hand inside her trousers and then moved her hand to his crotch. 

The crew take Jodie to the production camp to find out her side of the story Paul is also taken to the camp to give his side of the story 

Day 44

After they've spent the night, separately, in the production camp the crew get Paul and Jodie together to discuss the events face to face. Amazingly Paul accuses Jodie of making a move on him?! This is after Jodie gives her view of what happened very matter of fact. To say Jodie is gobsmacked would be an understatement. 

Meanwhile the rest of the tribe back at camp speculate on what might of happened, and they are very considerate of what may be the explanation. Playing devils advocate.

Mel said that if Jodie feels she has to leave she will go too.

Day 45

The following morning Jodie and Paul return to camp to let the tribe decide to what happens, who should stay and if anyone should go. Jodie says that if Paul stays she will remain as well and be civil. Klint admits that there is no record of how disputes or  internal conflict matters so they can only be guided about how the group want to deal with it.

They gather the group in the lean to Jodie leads the conversation, and then gives Paul the chance to tell his side of the story and he still goes with his story that Jodie made a move on him. Josie looks like she could swing for him and I wouldn't be surprised if Mel was holding on to the back of her coat. 

Mike also says that he believes Jodie and that Paul should leave. He even goes as afar as apologising that this has even happened in the 'family'. Josie makes it clear he needs to leave after the tribe consider both sides of the story. When Paul asks if there is anything else he can say and Josie says "a bye would be nice." She cracks me up.

The saddest thing was that the tribe did consider things like maybe Paul was half asleep and perhaps thought he was at home but him saying that Jodie instigated it, he shot himself in the foot and was only lucky that Josie didn't have a gun.

Day 46

Josie, Jodie and Mel are foraging for sloes and discuss the cut throat manner in which when anyone leaves, the tribe,  for 5 minutes everyone is a bit sad and then they realise they get to eat the extra rations and use of the spare furs. Which is very 10,000BC. They are also please there will be no more early morning / middle of the night crackpot hunting. So am I, I couldn't stand to see another half arsed attempt by Paul.

Day 47

JP is first up and is explaining how hard it is to dress in the morning and how much thinking has to go into how the clothes will be worn for maximum worth and movement. JP you're so grown up now.

The tribe plan a trip to lake but Mike has been told to rest by the medic and must remain in camp. Mel is worried that he might have come so far and may fall at the last hurdle.

JP and Mel check the fish traps, whilst Josie digs up cat tails especially for Mike. In the trap not only are there crayfish but much needed little fish that provide amazing amounts of protein. 

JP might have paid a blinding hand here by taking it easy up until now because he is literally now the last man standing and is the muscles for the group that are otherwise fatigued. 

Meanwhile Mike is evacuated from camp with breathing difficulties and is gutted but he thinks it might be time to swallow pride and accept some help. 

Back at the lake JP is now trying his hand at fishing but first he has to dig worms out of the cold hard ground and it proves too hard. 

Mel is pissed off that others think she loves working hard at getting the food because she is an outdoorsy sort of person; but she does it because she wants the tribe to make it to the end. It is leading to discontent, on her part, that people are pulling their weight and this could lead to her not making it to the end because she has worked herself to death.

Mike is in tears with Roxy and she thinks he is seriously ill. Mike thinks he has nothing more to give but I hope they give him the option of returning to camp once he has received treatment. 

Day 48

Roxy checks on Mike in the medic camp and explains to him that his liver has reacted to lack of nutrition, which has lead to his body to use up irreplaceable reserves.

Back at the camp it's 1pm back at camp JP, Josie and Jodie are asleep but Mel is out collecting wood for the fire because a the moment she is the only one that tends to the fire, she tries to take back huge 30kg logs because they burn for longer. Meaning she doesn't have to wake as often.

Josie comes out just as Mel returns to camp with the first log and Josie offers help bring some more despite it being unlikely she can carry them. Josie goes ahead with her log to speak to JP and Jodie to help bring back some logs. JP doesn't feel guilty that he isn't helping with the fire because he did it on his own for 5 weeks. He says that if Mel had just asked for his help he would have helped. Mel is of the opinion that it is a 21 st century trait that the strongest automatically help the weakest.

*Jodie decided not to make a formal complaint to the police.

Watching the '...and next week' where the tribe are discussing about how they feel about the  experiment coming to an end and I'm getting emotional for them!


What is 10,000BC about?

20 volunteers, from a cross section of people of the 21st Century, were sent into  a Bulgarian hunting reserve, similar to prehistoric Britain, to survive 8 weeks in the Stone age, without any help from 2014 (Filmed through October & November 2014)

The chosen ones for the experiment, from a cross section of modern day Britain are: 

Mike Soumelides - Simms  - Firefighter (All round handy guy to have around and always                 
                                                                 positive. Has a degree is hugs)

Josie & Jodie O'Rourke - Bookmaker / Event Manager ( Mother & Daughter )

John Paul Mullen (JP) - Club Promoter (Looked like he might walk to begin with but has           
                                                                knuckled down and getting on with it / Chatterbox)

Melissa Selling - Prop Maker (Possible contestant for Where's Wally?)

Paul Barnes - Lorry Driver  (Wanna be Bear Grylls and someone that clearly lives on his    
                                            own for a reason) - EJECTED BY THE TRIBE
Steve Nicholson - Archer (Amateur survivalist / Tribe Leader / Strategist) - WALKED

Rachel Harding - Education Assessor (Mother of the Camp / Organised)
Paul Wilshurst - Fence Contractor (Stubborn But Hard Worker)

Emily Harding - Graphic Designer                                                      WALKED

Mary Harding - Student
Alice - Restaurant Maitre D' (Willing to help out every day)

Perry Brookes - Landscape Gardener (Geezer) - WALKED

Kym Hall - Marketing Manager (Strong, Organised, Natural Leader) - WALKED

Oliver Farr - Electrician (Terris's Boyfriend / Survivalist Skills / Keen to Try Anything and        
                                     Embrace Stone Age Life) - WALKED
 Terri Perry - Florist (Oliver's Girlfriend/ Positive Person / Kind & Caring) - WALKED 

Caroline Mortimer - Retired Secretary (Stone Age enthusiast) - UNABLE TO CONTINUE 
                                                             POOR HEALTH

Aamer 'Bobby' Hussein - Council Duty Manager ("We're gonna die out here" / Self  
                                                                               Proclaimed Lazy) - WALKED

Tom Reader - Digital Content Creator (Keen team member/ not shy of hard word work/        
                                                            Nature Lover) - WALKED

Kam Khaira - Housewife & Shopkeeper  - WALKED

10,000BC - Episode 6 Dropping Like Flies

10,000 BC Episode 6

*For a brief background to the show, a who's who, and who is still participating  please scroll to the bottom.

There were seven in the bed and the little one said "Roll over, roll over...

Day 22

It's two days after the tribe returned to camp and Klint has set three tasks to see if the tribe have remembered enough of what they learnt in the last week. It is as much an assessment of Steve's leadership as it is of the tribes ability to last the final 5 weeks in the Stone Age. The tasks are:

Fire management

Willow bark processing

Butcher a fresh Deer

Steve already has in his mind what went wrong the first time but Paul B, ever the know it all, appears to take the decision that he is now the leader, mainly because he is still of the opinion that he is King of the Poachers. Mike tries to be diplomatic in adding "OK, you take the deer but you need to shout if your not getting it done in time". Paul B seems takes this as a seal of approval to be leader and then dishes out the rest of the tasks. 

Steve is worried that the deer isn't going to processed in time, before it starts to rot. That if they hang the meat it will get taken by animals in the night.

Klint and Dave agree with Paul B about hanging the meat over night so it can be jerked tomorrow but I'm with Steve on this one, the last time they did that the meat got taken in the night and what was left was infested with Maggots. 

Paul B thinks that Steve is pissed at his authority being challenged and says that he doesn't think he has ever acted like a leader. Not what he was saying when they were buddies coming up with ideas.

Steve is clearly annoyed at the turn of events and feels that he has been usurped. That it is now Mike, Mel and Paul B running the show. Interesting that to us Mel is suddenly one of the main characters as up to yesterday I had to keep checking on the 10,000BC to see what she looked like because we've barely seen her do or say anything. Makes me wonder just to what degree this has been 'edited' considering it's supposed to be a social experiment.

Dave describes it better, that Steve is the overall Leader but that some of the others are like department managers. Mike overall camp routine and Paul B Hunting (has he caught anything yet?).

Steve becomes frustrated with Klint and how time is being managed, especially with the amount of time and energy spent on willow cording. He's also fed up with Klint butting in.

Before Klint and Dave leave the camp they remind the camp that despite the social niggles that are creeping in, they need to remember to function like a family even when they don't get on. 

JP is worried that after the days events it might be about to fall apart now. Which would be especially be sad for him because he's just getting into the swing of things including team work and using his own initiative. 

During the evening meal Steve drops the bombshell that he is thinking of walking not only because of the days events but also because when they left the lodge 2 days ago they were a team and full of Vim and Vigour. Then no sooner were that back at camp that Paul B not only grassed the others up for contraband but also blackmailed them with his threat to walk. 

Mike backs up Steve on the blackmail point and so does JP who goes onto say that Paul B has created an atmosphere. 

JP starts to gets emotional, that the he had joined this to be part of something and he had felt like that up until the return to camp. Now he doesn't feel like he is part of anything. He's also sad as he is close to Steve, who has been like a father figure to him.

Day 23

Jodie is worried that Steve walking, later today, will cause JP to walk too. 

Mike and Paul B take the meat that they stored high in the tree (and saved from predators - so I was wrong) down to the stream to wash it, as when the deer was initially killed it's bowel was ruptured.

Paul B claims none of the experience has been difficult for him and says "..without being egotistical it's been like a camping trip". It might have been for you mate but I think it's been difficult for people to bite their tongue each time you've been a 'Know It All'.

Meanwhile Steve and JP have a final chat. Steve later comments that he holds no grudges and wishes the remainder of tribe the best of luck because they'll need it. Not everyone  listened to the lessons and these people don't deserve him. It's true he was one of the key people that got the tribe this far.

Paul B has a coughing fit and it renders him unable to breathe, and despite being just a few yards from he rest of the camp it's 15 minutes before anyone checks on him and surprisingly its Steve that does. There is no I in team and Steve was always concerned about every ones welfare. 

The medic has been monitoring him and decides to intervene. It is of her opinion that he has a re occurrence of his childhood Asthma. 

As as the sun sets Steve leaves and I have to admit at this point that the 'group howl' has always made me cringe.

Day 24

Paul B is under doctors orders to rest and this leaves the group down to 5 effectively. Now I'm no doctor but staying next to the fire is surely not helping his chest.

Mel admits she is bossy and a perfectionist. With Steve and Paul B out the picture she assumes the leader responsibility and also takes the title of rations Nazi. Did Mel get lost the for the first 20 days? Where has such a strong character been hidden?

Mel divides the camp into two She and Mike go to the lake whilst JP, Josie and Jodie stay to finish the meat, go foraging, keep the fire going and collect fresh water.

Whilst Mel and Mike are busy burning valuable calories trying to find the way back to the Lake, JP has bad news for the girls that he is planning to walk. Josie begs him to stay and even Paul B stops coughing long enough to try to persuade him to stay. 

When Mike and Mel finally get tot he lake after getting massively lost they are rewarded for a change with a haul of 17 crayfish. 

That evening JP is still there and Paul B is still coughing. On hearing JP's plan Mel & Mike try to persuade him to stay and it has worked for the moment. I'd like to think that they are all asking him to stay because he is a valued member of the tribe but the cynic in me thinks that it's for more selfish reasons of self preservation. 

Day 25

In the early hours Paul B becomes unable to breathe and has to be evacuated from the camp by the production Medics, to receive emergency treatment. It is thought that he has pneumonia.

The group are missing him already and Klint is concerned that if Paul B doesn't return to camp that it'll be game over for the experiment, because the group will have become to small. 

There are 3 strips of deer jerky for each person remaining for the meat eaters but Josie is down to last of her nuts and berries. So whilst Mel and Mike return to the lake, the other 3 must find a Burdock patch. 

Just as they are about to go Burdock foraging a stray dog ventures into the camp. Josie wants to to feed it some deer meat, which naturally annoys JP as that will be one persons rations, he jokes that perhaps they can eat the dog instead. It's so cool to see JP being considerate of others and also thinking about the consequences of actions. If anyone has made a personal journey through this it's him. Josie gives the dog just one strip of meat safe in the knowledge that JP isn't a Grass and Jodie won't say anything because she is her daughter and should know what's good for her. 

On arrival at the lake Mel and Mike aren't as lucky yesterday, and there is no catch of the day. So they catch a Turtle and some Crayfish with their hands and collect some roots. 

Under the guidance of the safety expert Mike has to humanely slaughter the Turtle. Bless him he feels really bad killing, like he has killed a pet. Mel starts going on about, if you are meat eater than you have to understand and be prepared to kill your meat. She might not have felt the same way if she was the one driving a spear through through the turtles shell.

What is 10,000BC about?

20 volunteers, from a cross section of people of the 21st Century, were sent into  a Bulgarian hunting reserve, similar to prehistoric Britain, to survive 8 weeks in the Stone age, without any help from 2014 (Filmed through October & November 2014)

The chosen ones for the experiment, from a cross section of modern day Britain are: 

Paul Barnes - Lorry Driver  (Wanna be Bear Grylls and someone that clearly lives on his    
                                            own for a reason) 

Mike Soumelides - Simms  - Firefighter (All round handy guy to have around and always                 
                                                                 positive. Has a degree is hugs)

Josie & Jodie O'Rourke - Bookmaker / Event Manager ( Mother & Daughter )

John Paul Mullen (JP) - Club Promoter (Looked like he might walk to begin with but has           
                                                                knuckled down and getting on with it / Chatterbox)

Melissa Selling - Prop Maker (Possible contestant for Where's Wally?)

Steve Nicholson - Archer (Amateur survivalist / Tribe Leader / Strategist) - WALKED

Rachel Harding - Education Assessor (Mother of the Camp / Organised)
Paul Wilshurst - Fence Contractor (Stubborn But Hard Worker)

Emily Harding - Graphic Designer                                                      WALKED

Mary Harding - Student
Alice - Restaurant Maitre D' (Willing to help out every day)

Perry Brookes - Landscape Gardener (Geezer) - WALKED

Kym Hall - Marketing Manager (Strong, Organised, Natural Leader) - WALKED

Oliver Farr - Electrician (Terris's Boyfriend / Survivalist Skills / Keen to Try Anything and        
                                     Embrace Stone Age Life) - WALKED
 Terri Perry - Florist (Oliver's Girlfriend/ Positive Person / Kind & Caring) - WALKED 

Caroline Mortimer - Retired Secretary (Stone Age enthusiast) - UNABLE TO CONTINUE 
                                                             POOR HEALTH

Aamer 'Bobby' Hussein - Council Duty Manager ("We're gonna die out here" / Self  
                                                                               Proclaimed Lazy) - WALKED

Tom Reader - Digital Content Creator (Keen team member/ not shy of hard word work/        
                                                            Nature Lover) - WALKED

Kam Khaira - Housewife & Shopkeeper  - WALKED