The Fox reality show Kicking & Screaming pairs hardcore survivalists with people who have, let’s say, far less experience in the outdoors.
Now that Eagle Scout and Washington Scout leader Terry Fossum is in the Top 6, I’ll recap every episode until he’s eliminated or the finale airs — whichever comes first.
New episodes air at 9/8 CT Thursdays on Fox. Note: The show is rated TV-14, so parents are cautioned against letting children under the age of 14 watch unattended.
Every team — even the forced-to-work-together kind on Kicking & Screaming — must go through a little “storming” before they can begin “performing.”
That’s certainly the case for Eagle Scout Terry Fossum, an active Scouter from Washington who competes wearing his field uniform, and his partner Natalie Casanova, a 29-year-old professional gamer with pink hair.
The two fought in Episode 3 and barely survived the elimination challenge. Can they weather the storming to make it through another episode?
Grab a plate of corncobs and get ready for your complete recap of Kicking & Screaming Episode 4: “Jungle Love.”
Spoilers follow.
A tough call
Having won the final challenge at the end of Episode 3, Terry and Natalie have the power in Episode 4 to send a fellow team to the elimination challenge. That team will be sent to a one-on-one, win-or-go-home matchup.
But, you know, a Scout is kind. So this decision isn’t easy for Terry.
“We love everybody out here,” he says. “To have to pick one of them to go to the elimination challenge — it is not power, it is a curse.”
Terry and Natalie choose Tamra, a wilderness survival instructor, and Maxwell, a fashion student.
That elimination challenge will come later. First, it’s time to eat. Sorta.
Prize challenge: Moveable feast
By this point in Kicking & Screaming, the contestants are in need of a decent meal.
This isn’t the kind of feast they’re expecting.
Partners stand on opposite sides of a spiderweb of rope that resembles the kind used at a COPE (Challenging Outdoor Personal Experience) low-ropes course.
One partner runs to a giant buffet table packed with meat, veggies, pastries and — for reasons never explained — a giant chocolate fountain.
The novices must pick up the food using only their mouths and pass it, mouth to mouth, through the net to their survivalist partners. The first team to transfer 10 pounds of food wins.
Germaphobes, look away now.
The process looks “like a mama bird to a baby bird,” observes Hannah, the show’s host.
While others struggle, Terry and Natalie figure out the trick right away.
Natalie starts with corncobs — one of the heavier items on the buffet and pretty easy to carry between your teeth. The partners even find a method for making sure they don’t drop any food to the mud below.
“On the transfer, when I have it, so she doesn’t let go ahead of time, I’m just gonna grunt,” Terry says.
Ten pounds of corn and half-chewed meat later, Terry and Natalie win. It’s the second win in a row for Team Purple, and it’s safe to say they’re officially “performing” now.
“After our big fight,” Terry says, “I’m just freaking out, man. This is fantastic.”
The prize is more food, and Terry and Natalie face another choice.
They can go alone or take everyone. They choose to share the wealth.
It’s the courteous and friendly thing to do, but I must point out this behavior would never fly on Survivor. Apparently this Eagle Scout prioritizes being kind to others over keeping his opponents weakened so he has a better chance of winning.
We’ll see if that strategy pays off.
Elimination challenge: Feeling crabby
Joining Tamra and Maxwell in the elimination challenge are John and Nakeisha, who finished last in the prize challenge. Terry and Natalie get to sit this one out.
The challenge involves reeling in crab traps and catching crabs bare-handed.
The winners: John, a mercenary, and Nakeisha, a cheerleader with the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks.
That means Tamra and Maxwell are eliminated, and we’re down to five teams. America’s favorite Eagle Scout reality show star and his partner now have a one-in-five shot at the half-million bucks. Stay tuned.
Stray observations
- I couldn’t help but notice that when other guys on the show took turns mocking their partners, Terry didn’t participate. Bravo.
- That moment when Nakeisha lost her spoon somewhere in camp was completely relatable. Even the most seasoned campers among us are known to lose items right under our noses. Unrelated: If anyone finds a gray plastic spork at Yellowstone National Park, please return it to me.
- Less relatable was the moment when one contestant, Brady, had a bathroom emergency. He didn’t take toilet paper when he ran off, and he returned with half a sleeve missing. “There’s no question where the other half went,” said his partner, Claire. Uh, gross.
- There was a cool moment where Terry asked Maxwell, the camp’s “worm whisperer,” to find him a worm. “If you find me an earthworm, I’ll do everything in my power to catch a fish,” Terry said. We never got to see that fishing trip, but maybe in a future episode. I’d love to see how good of an angler this Eagle Scout is.
Missed an episode?
Watch full episodes and learn more about Kicking and Screaming here.
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