‘Eden: Untamed Planet’ Recap – ‘Patagonia: The Ends of the Earth’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Five of ‘Eden: Untamed Planet’.
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Something we see pop up often in television shows grounded in fiction… is themed storytelling. The kind where a particular analysis or concept outright captivates a writers’ room and motivates them to tell multiple stories surrounding those very ideas. Simply because, they can, and they have that freedom, and it absolutely allows for some fascinating stories to come to life. But the sole reason this works in a fiction-based setting, is because there are multiple angles creative minds can take in regard to expanding upon a specific idea. Whereas documentary style storytelling, requires reality and facts to tell its story and trying to dive into different angles of something that we’ve already seen and learned about… could in fact, make future chapters in said documentary, boring.
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But believe or not, every once in a while, themed storytelling is possible in a documentary
setting, provided of course that nature and reality allows for something important to come up more than once, something that is of course worth further exploration and it just so happens that Eden: Untamed Planet, was able to accomplish this particular feat in its next episode. For ‘Patagonia: The Ends of the Earth’ is an episode that actually manages to mirror the prior episode in this adventure around the globe. Because much like the Galapagos Islands, Patagonia is a place where nature has formed an isolated paradise where nature defies the odds and survives. For these isolated mountain peaks and valleys below, are teeming with life and do so simply because everything in this beautiful and breathtaking place is all about balance.

For instance, the flamingos that live in the lakes that pool near the peaks, need the alga and the brine that thrive in these oases and they’re so important to these birds that this is where they raise their young and teach them to fly the hard way. Since so many of their babies must contend with ice at the end of the breeding and rearing season. But that is part of the balance, so that the strong survive and learn how to keep on surviving and they’re not the only ones that get these harsh lessons. Since the cats that roam the chilly mountain tops of Patagonia have come to learn what patience is all about, since their food is often difficult to capture. But if they look carefully for new opportunities and use stealth and creativity, they’ll be rewarded at last, and it was quite amazing to see nature thrive in such a harsh environment and see how polarizing the fight for survival is at the lower levels of Patagonia.

Because once one frees themselves from those jagged peaks where the air is thin and the sun can burn, you’ll find a touch of peace and tranquility. Where elephant seals are able to loaf about and eat as they please, thanks to the nutrient rich rivers and lakes near them, because they are in fact protected. And the very nutrients that feed them make their way to the coast as well, wherein marine life enjoys the bounty it provides. To the point where there is penguin like cities near the beach. Where chicks and adults thrive and sadly… serve as food for the pumas that live here. For they have figured out the chicks are easy prey and can feed their families with minimal effort and well… how and why they figured that out is what brings about concern in regard to this particular paradise. For it too is under fire from some of the problems that mankind has managed to create.

For farming has pushed the puma’s natural food into other places, forcing them to great creative and while there are efforts underway to relinquish these lands to mother nature, other collective actions by humanity still threaten the majesty of this isolated eco system. For climate change is quicky raising temperatures in places that have always been cold. Putting those mountain cats at risk since they spent eons evolving to thrive in a cold mountain environment and… the glaciers that make these waters so rich, are melting at an alarming rate, and could disrupt the balance of this precious place. Which means it is more imperative than ever that we double our efforts to combat climate change, so this documentary remains just that, instead of a history lesson. In the end, however, this was just another fascinating look at our world and how it functions, and it is quite amazing to know that even at the edge of the earth, where the mountains nearly touch the heavens, that life can thrive.

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