BBC Three's Last Man Standing Reaches Mid-stage
Who is on Top at the Halfway Point of TV’s Reality Sport Fest?
Nov 13, 2008
As it stands modern pentathlete Ed is in the lead with two wins, with football (soccer) player Joey, submission wrestler JJ, and boxer Wolé behind him on one each. That just leaves rugby player Jarvis and ultra laidback Devon kitesurfer Murray still left to record a win.
Tension Turned to 11 for Bhutanese Archery
This week’s episode, Bhutanese Archery, took a different approach to the usual rough and tumble events and was actually one of the strongest outings. In this the athletes had to stand over 130 metres away from a tiny target and try and get as close as they could with their arrows.
Instead of rolling around in the mud and kicking lumps out of each other, it focused more on technique and built up a good rivalry story between Ed and eventual winner JJ, which overshadowed that of the two tribes competing. The tension was turned all the way to 11 as Ed stepped up to fire his last arrow, just one point behind JJ.
Ed Proves to be the Ultimate All-rounder
During the sports so far it’s the Brits who tend to adapt to each sport a lot easier than their American counterparts. Oxford-based Ed, who started as a bit of a wet fish, has proven to be he most versatile athlete so far, much like Rajko from series 1, by winning two weeks in a row. Although mountain of muscle Wolé was the early stand out, the smart money should be on Ed to literally run away with it.
The guys are even more likable than last year’s bunch. While Wolé arrogance did grate in the opening weeks, everyone has mellowed down and started to accept this show for what it is; an ultimate adventure for all of them.
Ralf Little: 21st Century Documentary Narrator
Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps’ Ralf Little, who replaced Richard Hammond as narrator, is still doing a great job. While not as good as the Hampster in terms of witty asides, which Hammond is used to due to his work on the peerless Top Gear, Little’s down to earth style is just what a show of this nature needs.
Even his attempts at straight documentary speaking are even good, it’s hardly Attenborough but it does the job. The wide camera shoots of the scenery are also amazing; if only more shows could carry the same level of style and substance maybe TV wouldn’t be such a pit of despair at times.
Endurance Racing in Deep Snow and Canoeing in the Pacific
Still to come in the list of events is endurance racing in deep snow in Kamchatka, Sikaran kick-fighting in the Philippines, Water Buffalo racing in the Indonesian island of Sumbawa, Kushti mud wrestling in India and canoeing in the Pacific.
Series 2 has definitely lived up to the standards set by the first year and more. Whoever comes out on top doesn’t change that the BBC have once again backed a winner.
Last Man Standing is shown on BBC Three every Tuesday at 9pm. The latest episode can be viewed on BBC iPlayer.
