Must Watch: Castaways (the TV show!)

“Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.”

-Luke 6:31

I’ve been wanting to publish a post about Castaways ever since I finished watching the last episode. If you’ve never heard of it, it aired on ABC recently and is described as “a revolutionary series testing the human need for companionship under extreme circumstances”. It follows 12 diverse individuals as they’re dropped alone, throughout various islets near Indonesia, and challenged to survive with washed-up luggage and minimal, scattered resources.

The only way to leave the islands is to persevere long enough to be rescued or to quit. And to make things even more intimate and interesting, as dramatic situations unfold, the series flashes back to the real lives of each participant in documentary fashion, demonstrating haunting parallels to the lives they left behind.

The editing, music and cinematography is second-to-none (in my opinion) and I loved that they started each episode with an insightful quote:

I honestly don’t know when I’ve ever been so profoundly impacted and moved by a reality-style show.

If you didn’t catch it real-time, you can watch all the episodes on Hulu now. I won’t spoil the ending for you here, but I do want to share some of the quotes each episode began with, and to highlight some of the things the cast members shared while they were surviving out there, both alone and together…

Tim:

“Being out here…it’s really allowed me to peek behind the curtain of my own heart…and it surprised me. I thought I was very prepared and, um, I wasn’t as prepared as I thought I was…at a heart level.

My entire life I have been chasing happiness all around the world. I came 10,000 miles to a deserted island for a physical challenge, that turned into an emotional event, that dug up a truth that I don’t think I would’ve otherwise found. And I realized that the only thing that I’m involved in, that’s bigger than me, that’s more important that me, in my life, is my family. If that’s all that came from this trip, was the perspective that my family is everything…than this was my true rescue.

Robbie:

“I feel like I am a team player. Back when I was growing up, through college, even now, coaching middle-schoolers. I believe in team. I teach team, and it goes with anything, we all need to realize that we work together. The ultimate goal is that we’re trying to win. Whether it be a game, or we’re just trying to get through the day. If your “W” is to see the sunset, well then, let’s make sure we see the sunset. I’m not saying it’s going to be easy, or going to be perfect every single day, but let’s rely on each other. That’s what it’s all about.”

Matt:

“Things don’t always go like you’ve have them planned in your mind, but you have to keep moving forward…you have to keep going. Yes, I think about the “what ifs” and I have the fears, but that’s where a lot of special things happen…and, so, I’ll continue to fly.”

Richard:

“They were very adamant about sharing with us. It goes to show what type of people they are…and they realized too, when they met us, that we weren’t there to take…we were only there to give. Absolutely priceless to be able to seamlessly enter a group like that and only add to the ease of life.”

Terry:

“After exploring all those places inside of myself, every nook or cranny that felt dark or scary, when I was finally alone, I realized there was nothing that grab ahold of me and take me down…and I felt pretty free in there, which is really great. It’s one thing to know you’re okay, and it’s another to also recognize that there are others that might not be feeling that. And if I could send them any kind of thoughts or energy that, ya know, they’re going to be okay.”

My favorite exchange was between Tim and Robbie. Tim encouraged Robbie by saying, “The other day you said, ‘I do okay in my little part of the world‘, but there’s no part of the world that’s little if you’re impacting lives.

So beautifully articulated and such a powerful truth!

Needless to say, I was incredibly inspired by the folks who courageously spent several days or weeks on those little islands near Indonesia. They not only put themselves in a physically challenging position but by sharing their personal backstories, they were vulnerable and I connected with so many of them through the portrayal of those experiences too.

Give it a watch if you want to “meet” them too! 🙂

Layla

PS- Speaking of meeting them, Robbie and Sawyer found me through the Castaways hashtag on Instagram, so it has been fun messaging with them over there over the past couple of weeks. Swing by later today for a special hello from Sawyer in my Instagram Stories if you’re interested!