Every time a new Alaska reality TV show hits the dark corners of cable, I think that maybe this one will be different. Maybe producers will have found a way to make non-scripted programming for a modern, media literate, edgy audience. But alas, there is no edge in "Edge of Alaska."
"Edge of Alaska" takes place in McCarthy, Anchoragites' third-favorite quirky weekend getaway town. (First: Talkeetna, duh. Second: Homer, double duh.) The first season aired last fall and was met with some hostility from locals, but due to a fall TV hiatus on behalf of yours truly the first episode I caught was Friday's season two premiere.
The episode centers on a pack of wolves that are menacing and killing local dogs. So Jeremy Keller and his 9-year-old son set out to track and kill the wolves. Instead of running into the wolves, they run into Neil Darish, a central figure and the largest private land owner in McCarthy, according to the Discovery Channel narrator.
As Keller and Darish chat about the wolves, we are introduced to what seems to be the central plotline of "Edge of Alaska": that these two are no longer friends due to their differing views on McCarthy's future. Darish wants to turn the old Mother Lode mine into the state's biggest tourist attraction while Keller wants things to stay as they are. Spoiler alert: They never find the wolves.
The real stars of this program should be Tim Mischel, an old-timer who's been in McCarthy for 40 years, and Mark Wacht. They have a nice mentor/mentee relationship and seem more natural on camera. In one scene, when Wacht is driving back from Anchorage with Mischel, they find the McCarthy road has been completely iced over. When Wacht goes to check that the ice is solid before driving over it, he slips and falls in a hilarious way. I rewatched it at least three times, because watching people fall is hilarious. (See also this video of Gov. Chris Christie falling out of a chair.)
McCarthy is a fantastic place to film a reality TV show, and the show does highlight a battle that is very real and relatable for small-town America. But generally, "Edge of Alaska" is like a gluten-free version of your favorite food. It's fine and you'll eat it, but it's not what you want it to be. Will Darish create Alaska's "biggest tourist attraction" at the Mother Lode or will McCarthy continue to be a small town with 40 or so year-round residents? Only time, and Discovery Channel's editors will tell.
Finally, if you haven't heard, six of the "Alaskan Bush People" were charged with hunting and fishing license violations. The important thing you need to know is that Noah Brown's middle name is "Dark Cloud," according to the citation. The Brown family is truly the gift that keeps on giving.
Emily Fehrenbacher lives in Anchorage, where she reviews Alaska reality TV. You can reach her at realitycheck@alaskadispatch.com or on Twitter @ETFBacher.