2006

S1.E1 ∙ Crab Fisherman

Tue, Dec 04, 2007

Lieflong screw-up Ashley Hames has accepted to prove himself as a man by boarding the trailer Wizard as apprentice-fisherman in the feared waters of Atlantic in the miserable season when red crab is fished. In a matter of hours he curses the idea of starting a five days journey of hard work for hours on deck on end, handling and cleaning heavy, stinking shellfish in testing weather, which would make anyone seasick. After days of suffering and vomiting the entire content of his contorted stomach under equally merciless verbal abuse, he finally beats the nausea and asks captain Keith's seal of approval for his taste of a real man's job...

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S1.E2 ∙ Heli-logger

Tue, Dec 11, 2007

Ashley tries to prove his manhood with a crew of Canadian West Coast lumberjacks. The nightly initiation is no walk over: in his briefs trying to stay upright while the adversary deliberately treads movement in the log they stand on in icy water. For the job they are dropped by helicopter on forest-covered mountain slopes, inaccessible by road even if there were one, to cut suitable trees to size to be dragged to a lake by the helicopter, hanging by a noose-fixed steel cable. Tardiness at breakfast gets Ashley -who also commits revealing indiscretions in the camp- stuck on duty as stamper: swinging a heavy 'stamp' ax at every single log. The ultimate job and test is actually using the giant chain-saw to cut down a centuries-old giant.

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S1.E3 ∙ Columbian National Police

Tue, Dec 18, 2007

Ashley joins the Latin America macho world of the Colombian paramilitary police. After a good beating from a superior boxer -no actual ring- by way of hazing, yet good male bonding as he gets cheered by his burlier fellow rookies, it's days of humiliating physical and even judgment bumbling until instructor Fernando, who constantly was on his case and demanded to see his face, is satisfied and follows him in real tastes of life in the drug brigade, which has a daunting survival rate due to both guerrilla and drug cartel violence, and even collaboration with the terrorist unit. Despite uneven achievements, his English sense of humor makes him a hit with his Colombian fellows in arms.

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S1.E4 ∙ Fireman Edmonton, Canada

Thu, Jul 24, 2008

Ashley has a go at one of the most manly jobs he knows: fireman, in Canadian city Edmonton's corps, where he is subjected to the real training; this rather resembles the Marines program in formalism and 're-building'. Recruit Hames's first order is to strip off his clothes completely in front of the commander. From then on the Seniors put him through a crushing workload while constantly hosing the newbie down. This endless treatment must prepare rookies for unconditional courage under fire conditions, of which an abandoned building allows a more then scorching foretaste. Yet Ashley also feels it working in terms of male bonding, which makes it all worthwhile as an experience.

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S1.E5 ∙ Crime Scene Cleaner

Tue, Jan 01, 2008

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S1.E6 ∙ Opal Mining in Lightning Ridge, Australia

Wed, Dec 31, 2008

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S1.E7 ∙ Fireman in New South Wales, Australia

Thu, Aug 14, 2008

Ashley joins in Salt Ash one of the many selfless, unpaid rural branches of the 70,000 strong volunteer firemen of New South Wales, a populous state of Australia. Here, each year, many lives and properties are destroyed by potentially enormous bush fires. They prove a friendly lot, accepting anyone (male or female) in reasonable physical condition, where 'hazing' is lighting the traditional barbecue to 'fatten up' the skinny recruit. Training is realistic. After some fun on a colleague's sheep ranch, Ashley's first heroic feat proves a cat rescue from a tranquil tree. Next alert is a real bush fire, but he does well.

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S1.E10 ∙ Stuntman New Zealand

Thu, Aug 28, 2008

Ashley's challenge down-under is to do a dangerous stunt in a burning car, which involves jumping and being put on fire. Initially he takes such a bad start the professional team regrets having taken on the one-off charge, but on the big day he performs so well, for a greenhorn, that they acclaim hum, despite an unappreciative audience, as a rare real talent.

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S1.E11 ∙ Gaucho Cowboy: Brazil

Wed, Dec 31, 1969

Ashley joins the legendary gauchos (South American cowboys on horseback) of southern Brazil on Julian Anselmo's Santo Angelo ranch to lean how to tame a wild horse, which makes fatal victims every year. Training starts on a tame mount Ashley calls David of golden balls, after soccer start Beckham, alas with a star temper. Second day, cattle herding: the lasso lesson proves blistering manual agony; sheep-slaughter and bull-calf castration turn his stomach, his initiation requires drinking maté which gives a hangover (for which he's later punished by manure cleaning) and eating the fried head of the victim plus bull bullocks. Third day, a better mount and the horse hunt. When Ashley chickens out, Juliano makes him train on a bull calf.

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S1.E12 ∙ Aussie Rules

Tue, Dec 25, 2007

Ashley is brave and dumb enough to train in one week for a real match with the Sydney Swans, Australia's top team in the merciless 'Aussie rules', a football game with the ruthless physical violence of rugby at its worst. The scrawny anti-athlete is a laughing stock at first sight, can't fit into the tiny shorts any better then the shoes of the least talented rookie ever to have played for the team. His mentor has to throw the ball at him to stop him resting. He cries like a girl during 'only' 15 minutes in ice-water and is utterly humiliated by the kids and even the club's ladies team the 'Sharks'. Still a side of expats (15 lost in the huge stadium) may not be disappointed, although Down Under the national obsession at the time is revenge on the 'posh' who trashed them in a prestige game.

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S1.E13 ∙ Mountain Rescue in Montana, US

Wed, Dec 31, 1969

Ashley joins the mountain rescue team in a Rocky Mountains ski resort in Montana. His experienced professional instructor Chris has less sense of humor then Ashley physical talent or any other aptitude, so they clash from the start. The icy weather and steep mountains are even more pitiless for Ashley, who feels defeated and humiliated when he can't keep up, throwing up blood, and is told his poor performance would kill real victims. In the end he advances enough to take part in a real sled rescue.

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