Shark Week is still going strong! I’ve really been enjoying the shows so far, and many of them have stepped up their game compared to previous years. Also, this was the first night that COVID didn’t have a visible impact on the events of the shows (with the exception of Josh Gates Tonight, but it’s hard to not mention the pandemic when all of the interviews have to be done virtually). It was nice to forget about all of that for a while. Based on the previews and commercials, it looks like there’s still lots of great stuff waiting for fans of Shark Week throughout the week. This really is the most wonderful week of the year.
Extinct or Alive: Land of the Lost Sharks: Off the coast of South Africa, Forrest Galante and a team of cameramen are in search of three sharks have been lost to science for quite some time: the whitetip weasel shark, the ornate sleeper ray, and the flapnose houndshark. Since capturing footage of these sharks is scientifically important, the team has put a lot of thought and effort into their camera work and apparatuses. So this show is definitely a feast for the eyes. I also love these kinds of shows because it showcases different shark species other than the usual Shark Week standards. Thankfully, all three lost sharks were spotted. That’s a win for science!
Will Smith: Off the Deep End: The next celebrity Shark Week episode of the week. This one was different, however. Most of the time, these kinds of episodes have the celebrities doing something gimmicky or helping with scientific research. Will Smith, on the other hand, was engaging in a spiritual journey to tackle his fears of the ocean and of sharks. Dr. Judy Ho weighed in from time to time on the effects of fear on the body, and Paul de Gelder even joined in to help Will Smith through his journey. This was a refreshing change of pace compared to typical celebrity Shark Week shows. The most poignant moment for me was when Will Smith said “Fear kills your ability to see beauty”. I think that’s such a great thing to hear during Shark Week because so many people are afraid of sharks, but sharks are such beautiful, wonderful creatures.
Great White Serial Killer Extinction: I’ve never really been a fan of the Great White Serial Killer series on Shark Week because I think it really sends the wrong message. Given the current plight of sharks, we should be focusing more on conservation and less on fear mongering. Thankfully, this year’s edition of this show did not focus on human victims. Instead, Ralph Collier investigates an increase of otters being attacked and killed by great white sharks. This was a much better episode than previous episodes in this series, but it was still the weakest show of the night. The scientific experiments were interesting, but some of the moments of dialogue were just too staged and I still just don’t find this particular series all that interesting compared to some of the other shows that have investigated great white predations.
Expedition Unknown: Josh Gates Tonight: With Jeff Foxworthy, Forrest Galante, and Paul de Gelder as the guests of the night, Josh Gates Tonight continues to deliver. Not only does the show do a nice job of wrapping up the night, but I am LOVING all of the puns that get thrown in. I’m a sucker for bad puns. The product placement does get a little ridiculous sometimes, but I’m wiling to forgive it if the paid ads mean Shark Week gets the money it needs to keep happening. And I have to admit, the more Josh talks about the Georgia Aquarium, the more I want to go.
