Post by queenzod on Jul 17, 2023 4:49:52 GMT
This is a freaking novel, lol. Sorry if it’s too long but I wanted to be thorough.
He talks at the outset to the camera about how he wanted a challenge and he’s doing it to see how he’d react to the unknown, about resilience and how important it is and how he thinks that’s Bears’ thing, teaching that. Bear comes in on the outside of the helicopter, Ben digs through his bag, takes a nip out of a flask (says it’s whiskey, not lighter fluid, haha), talks about his grandfather being a commander of a submarine in WW2. They show some b&w photos and a news article with a photo of his grandfather’s wedding (I think). This theme of his grandfather runs throughout the episode, as does the motif of resilience.
They both get on the outside of the copter and get dropped on the island, Ben praises the astonishing scenery & coastline. They set off to find one of several caches (Ben has trouble pronouncing the word), they’ll need over the next 2 days. They talk about Ben’s adventurous spirit, and he responds by saying he had several brushes with death when he was younger which put him in a fearless, reckless place, but that he still likes the idea of living life to its full. But he’s tempered that appetite for thrills because of the people who depend on him now. Bear says his family, obviously, and Ben doesn’t reply but that’s what it is.
They talk about the Cumberbatch spirit for adventure and his grandfather’s command over a run down, ship whose crew mutinied during the war and his grandfather had to get through that. Then they got out their transceiver to track the caches, and noted how it’s different than a gps. It doesn’t give coordinates, you have to weave around following the signal and narrow down to the site.
Their first cache was some climbing equipment which contained a “climbing talon” device, which was a set of 4 claws that you press into the ground with your foot as an anchor point for rappelling. If you pull on it flat it’ll hold your body weight but if you pull up, it’ll just come straight out of the ground. (Looked fairly dodgy to me.)
Bear goes first down a 200 foot cliff to show him how to do it, with Ben feeding him the line, and then it’s Ben’s turn (which we’ve all seen). Before they go, Bear teaches him a knot, an Italian hitch he needs to remember how to do for the next day when he’s going to be alone. Ben admits this rappel is the thing he’s “most anxious about.” Bear gets down, Ben hauls the rope up, and he keeps talking about how far down it is, can’t remember how to make the hitch, but finally gets it and goes. Bear is very supportive throughout and seems impressed by Ben. “Mad respect.” (Even though we all know he lived, lol, my heart was in my mouth!)
They sit and hydrate for a moment, Ben finds a sheep jaw. They talk, Bear says he’s been going nonstop the last 10 years and Ben says this (type of adventure) is exactly what he wants to step into when he gets a moment, to absorb himself into something bigger, grounding, and more humbling, solitary as well. He tries to get deep into nature when he can. Bear brings up his adventurous spirit when, early on in his life, Ben went to teach at the Buddhist monastery and Ben mentions how he and his buds got lost hiking in the Himalayas but it was a life changing experience overall. Ben said that was one reason why he was insistent they go there for DS1. Also because it was so close after the earthquake and they wanted to help show the region was open for business and to show the crew the journey of losing oneself and finding oneself again. Ben admitted it was very emotional for him, to complete that circle.
They set off for the next cache about a mile away, along the base of the cliffs, crawling along over these enormous, slippery black boulders wet from the sea spray and which Ben described as a “crablike scramble,” and “walking on soap.” The cache is under a waterfall. Ben practices using the transceiver (which put me in mind of the scene in Galaxy Quest where Alan Rickman is using the device wrong when they land on the alien planet, lol). They dig out the cache and it’s an empty lobster trap. Bear said he wanted to give Ben a lobster dinner but they have to settle on limpets and seaweed. Fun fact! All seaweed in the UK is edible!
Then they have to hike back up the 200 foot cliffs, up through a sort of crevasse where part of the cliff is eroding and peeling away and find the next cache which will hold their camping gear for the night. It’s starting to rain and the sun is going down. They tie each other together for support to go up and don helmets because of falling rocks. They get a move on. Ben said he can feel the steep climb in his calves and thighs. They emerge “from the depths I emerge!” Ben laughs as they come out onto a flat plateau. He says he wishes he could see his grandfather, who trained in this area. “So there’s that going through my mind.”
Ben’s worried it’s going to pour. They set up their tent (a flap of canvas), build a fire with a dash from the flask of whiskey (Ben admits to having a nip that morning), two layers of sheepskin underneath. Ben says the cold and rain “might be the most challenging part of this.”
They put their limpets and seaweed over the fire to cook and talk a bit, which we’ve all seen. Ben asks what it is about fires, he can’t take his eyes off it and Bear says “nature’s tv!” Ben says it really is. Bear asks him where that thing he has of going all in intensely on everything comes from, and Ben says “I don’t know where I inherited it from but I think it exhausts a lot of people around me,” and then mentions his mum was fairly adventurous, too. Then he speaks of his grandparents and, along with his education he just wanted to see more and be a part of all these opportunities, to open up to such potentialities and experiences. That we get such a short time on this planet and why not take advantage of it. Then they get into the outsider conversation which we’ve seen on some clip.
Then they eat and Ben is good natured about the crap food. They talk about the stamina Ben’s going to need for the next day and sleep (no cute shots of Ben snuggled in, unfortunately).
The next morning Bear finds some forged iron bolts in the fence post wood they’d burned and made an even dodgier set of climbing talons Ben’s going to need later. (Seriously, they looked completely unsafe.) Ben says he didn’t really sleep and it was incredibly cold. Bear leaves. Ben sets off to find the cache they need for their extraction. “Danger for breakfast,” Ben laughs.
He overshoots the cache place but eventually finds it, a large, heavy bag which he realizes through walkie talkie he’s going to have to repel down the cliff with to meet Bear. Being very tired, cold & hungry, he can’t remember the hitch knot but finally gets it (“this makes me nervous” ).
He throws the bag over and lowers it down to Bear and then goes himself, doing REALLY well. He says “it’s in the back of your mind that there are just these 4 pieces of metal imbedded in loose soil, sod really, which are very easy to push into which means they’re very easy to push out of.” It’s amazing watching him come down that vertical cliff side. It’s slippery & cold and “a lot of fun.” Bear praises him and Ben said he really enjoyed it.
They unpack the cache which is a Klepper kayak (spelling?), they used during WW2 commando raids to attach mines to German boats off the Norwegian coast. Ben says “I have always been fascinated by periods of history where ordinary people have had to show extraordinary courage under pressure to survive and I think that’s what Bear is all about. I wanted to do this to learn about resilience and I’m feeling a communion with my grandfather. I wish he was around. He would have been under the water instead of on top of the water but there’s definitely a theme playing itself out here.”
Then they talk about improvisation, resilience, adaptation, and self-security before paddling out through the waves to the open ocean. They’re met by a ship from the British Royal navy and they board and meet the marines. Ben said it’s very moving and he feels close to his grandfather. Bear tells him this isn’t the end and a nuclear submarine surfaces and Ben gets so emotional! “I’ve been thinking about my grandfather so much over the past few days and to see it was an omg shock moment. Amazing!” Wipes away a bunch of tears. “I’m so moved! I’m so moved! I can’t believe it. I’m sort of tearing up now thinking about it and wow. The last couple of days have been extraordinary and what an experience, and then to round it all off this became more and more about a narrative I wasn’t expecting. Not in my wildest dreams could I imagine that would be part of my experience with Bear and I’m so grateful. It was deeply moving, it really was. Thank you for giving me this amazing adventure - I really appreciate it.”
Final shots of them getting onto the side of the submarine, going inside, and it diving. Obviously no cameras allowed on the sub (and very few civilians, ever, so Ben is blessed again with a rare experience).
No shots of Sophie or the kids. What impressed me the most was how calm and mellow Ben was through the whole thing. He was quiet, reflective, having a good sense of humor but there was no running around screaming or complaining. I’ve never seen him just being his normal self for so long before. Not promoting a movie, geared up for interviews or the red carpet, and not being a drama queen like some of his characters. Just a simple, normal guy having a great adventure, taking it in deeply, openly, contemplatively, and getting on with what needed to be done next.
Okay, that’s it! Let me know if you have questions. 🤗
He talks at the outset to the camera about how he wanted a challenge and he’s doing it to see how he’d react to the unknown, about resilience and how important it is and how he thinks that’s Bears’ thing, teaching that. Bear comes in on the outside of the helicopter, Ben digs through his bag, takes a nip out of a flask (says it’s whiskey, not lighter fluid, haha), talks about his grandfather being a commander of a submarine in WW2. They show some b&w photos and a news article with a photo of his grandfather’s wedding (I think). This theme of his grandfather runs throughout the episode, as does the motif of resilience.
They both get on the outside of the copter and get dropped on the island, Ben praises the astonishing scenery & coastline. They set off to find one of several caches (Ben has trouble pronouncing the word), they’ll need over the next 2 days. They talk about Ben’s adventurous spirit, and he responds by saying he had several brushes with death when he was younger which put him in a fearless, reckless place, but that he still likes the idea of living life to its full. But he’s tempered that appetite for thrills because of the people who depend on him now. Bear says his family, obviously, and Ben doesn’t reply but that’s what it is.
They talk about the Cumberbatch spirit for adventure and his grandfather’s command over a run down, ship whose crew mutinied during the war and his grandfather had to get through that. Then they got out their transceiver to track the caches, and noted how it’s different than a gps. It doesn’t give coordinates, you have to weave around following the signal and narrow down to the site.
Their first cache was some climbing equipment which contained a “climbing talon” device, which was a set of 4 claws that you press into the ground with your foot as an anchor point for rappelling. If you pull on it flat it’ll hold your body weight but if you pull up, it’ll just come straight out of the ground. (Looked fairly dodgy to me.)
Bear goes first down a 200 foot cliff to show him how to do it, with Ben feeding him the line, and then it’s Ben’s turn (which we’ve all seen). Before they go, Bear teaches him a knot, an Italian hitch he needs to remember how to do for the next day when he’s going to be alone. Ben admits this rappel is the thing he’s “most anxious about.” Bear gets down, Ben hauls the rope up, and he keeps talking about how far down it is, can’t remember how to make the hitch, but finally gets it and goes. Bear is very supportive throughout and seems impressed by Ben. “Mad respect.” (Even though we all know he lived, lol, my heart was in my mouth!)
They sit and hydrate for a moment, Ben finds a sheep jaw. They talk, Bear says he’s been going nonstop the last 10 years and Ben says this (type of adventure) is exactly what he wants to step into when he gets a moment, to absorb himself into something bigger, grounding, and more humbling, solitary as well. He tries to get deep into nature when he can. Bear brings up his adventurous spirit when, early on in his life, Ben went to teach at the Buddhist monastery and Ben mentions how he and his buds got lost hiking in the Himalayas but it was a life changing experience overall. Ben said that was one reason why he was insistent they go there for DS1. Also because it was so close after the earthquake and they wanted to help show the region was open for business and to show the crew the journey of losing oneself and finding oneself again. Ben admitted it was very emotional for him, to complete that circle.
They set off for the next cache about a mile away, along the base of the cliffs, crawling along over these enormous, slippery black boulders wet from the sea spray and which Ben described as a “crablike scramble,” and “walking on soap.” The cache is under a waterfall. Ben practices using the transceiver (which put me in mind of the scene in Galaxy Quest where Alan Rickman is using the device wrong when they land on the alien planet, lol). They dig out the cache and it’s an empty lobster trap. Bear said he wanted to give Ben a lobster dinner but they have to settle on limpets and seaweed. Fun fact! All seaweed in the UK is edible!
Then they have to hike back up the 200 foot cliffs, up through a sort of crevasse where part of the cliff is eroding and peeling away and find the next cache which will hold their camping gear for the night. It’s starting to rain and the sun is going down. They tie each other together for support to go up and don helmets because of falling rocks. They get a move on. Ben said he can feel the steep climb in his calves and thighs. They emerge “from the depths I emerge!” Ben laughs as they come out onto a flat plateau. He says he wishes he could see his grandfather, who trained in this area. “So there’s that going through my mind.”
Ben’s worried it’s going to pour. They set up their tent (a flap of canvas), build a fire with a dash from the flask of whiskey (Ben admits to having a nip that morning), two layers of sheepskin underneath. Ben says the cold and rain “might be the most challenging part of this.”
They put their limpets and seaweed over the fire to cook and talk a bit, which we’ve all seen. Ben asks what it is about fires, he can’t take his eyes off it and Bear says “nature’s tv!” Ben says it really is. Bear asks him where that thing he has of going all in intensely on everything comes from, and Ben says “I don’t know where I inherited it from but I think it exhausts a lot of people around me,” and then mentions his mum was fairly adventurous, too. Then he speaks of his grandparents and, along with his education he just wanted to see more and be a part of all these opportunities, to open up to such potentialities and experiences. That we get such a short time on this planet and why not take advantage of it. Then they get into the outsider conversation which we’ve seen on some clip.
Then they eat and Ben is good natured about the crap food. They talk about the stamina Ben’s going to need for the next day and sleep (no cute shots of Ben snuggled in, unfortunately).
The next morning Bear finds some forged iron bolts in the fence post wood they’d burned and made an even dodgier set of climbing talons Ben’s going to need later. (Seriously, they looked completely unsafe.) Ben says he didn’t really sleep and it was incredibly cold. Bear leaves. Ben sets off to find the cache they need for their extraction. “Danger for breakfast,” Ben laughs.
He overshoots the cache place but eventually finds it, a large, heavy bag which he realizes through walkie talkie he’s going to have to repel down the cliff with to meet Bear. Being very tired, cold & hungry, he can’t remember the hitch knot but finally gets it (“this makes me nervous” ).
He throws the bag over and lowers it down to Bear and then goes himself, doing REALLY well. He says “it’s in the back of your mind that there are just these 4 pieces of metal imbedded in loose soil, sod really, which are very easy to push into which means they’re very easy to push out of.” It’s amazing watching him come down that vertical cliff side. It’s slippery & cold and “a lot of fun.” Bear praises him and Ben said he really enjoyed it.
They unpack the cache which is a Klepper kayak (spelling?), they used during WW2 commando raids to attach mines to German boats off the Norwegian coast. Ben says “I have always been fascinated by periods of history where ordinary people have had to show extraordinary courage under pressure to survive and I think that’s what Bear is all about. I wanted to do this to learn about resilience and I’m feeling a communion with my grandfather. I wish he was around. He would have been under the water instead of on top of the water but there’s definitely a theme playing itself out here.”
Then they talk about improvisation, resilience, adaptation, and self-security before paddling out through the waves to the open ocean. They’re met by a ship from the British Royal navy and they board and meet the marines. Ben said it’s very moving and he feels close to his grandfather. Bear tells him this isn’t the end and a nuclear submarine surfaces and Ben gets so emotional! “I’ve been thinking about my grandfather so much over the past few days and to see it was an omg shock moment. Amazing!” Wipes away a bunch of tears. “I’m so moved! I’m so moved! I can’t believe it. I’m sort of tearing up now thinking about it and wow. The last couple of days have been extraordinary and what an experience, and then to round it all off this became more and more about a narrative I wasn’t expecting. Not in my wildest dreams could I imagine that would be part of my experience with Bear and I’m so grateful. It was deeply moving, it really was. Thank you for giving me this amazing adventure - I really appreciate it.”
Final shots of them getting onto the side of the submarine, going inside, and it diving. Obviously no cameras allowed on the sub (and very few civilians, ever, so Ben is blessed again with a rare experience).
No shots of Sophie or the kids. What impressed me the most was how calm and mellow Ben was through the whole thing. He was quiet, reflective, having a good sense of humor but there was no running around screaming or complaining. I’ve never seen him just being his normal self for so long before. Not promoting a movie, geared up for interviews or the red carpet, and not being a drama queen like some of his characters. Just a simple, normal guy having a great adventure, taking it in deeply, openly, contemplatively, and getting on with what needed to be done next.
Okay, that’s it! Let me know if you have questions. 🤗