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'Naked and Afraid of Sharks 2': Unfit ending to Shark Week 2020 leaves viewers disappointed

The contestants attempted to survive on a remote strip of islands surrounded by shark-infested waters

With another year of programming specifically tuned around sharks, Discovery Channel has brought an end to its annual Shark Week — which first started in 1988 and is now in its 32nd edition. While some Shark Week specials went above and beyond in terms of actual science, 'Wicked Sharks' and 'Alien Sharks: First Contact' to name a few, others were merely just floating around the surface in that very little about sharks were actually involved.

This year, Discovery Channel chose to end Shark Week with another special edition of 'Naked and Afraid' where contestants would try to survive naked in the wild called 'Naked and Afraid: Swimming with the Sharks', or simply put, 'Naked and Afraid of Sharks 2'. The contestants featured included Matt Wright, Jeff Zausch, Serena and Amber Shine, and Alex Manard, who attempted to survive on a remote strip of islands whose waters are so teeming with predators, locals call it "Shark Alley". All five contestants are 'Naked and Afraid' veterans.

While Matt Wright and Amber Shine were paired up initially, Alex Manard joined them later. On a nearby island, Jeff Zausch and Serena Shine were paired up. True to the nature of 'Naked and Afraid', the two teams had to survive on the island with just a few weapons at hand. They had to make their own fires for warmth and to keep the blood-sucking insects away. While Jeff's and Serena's fire almost got out of hand, the other team's fire did nothing to quell the insects' attacks on them, with Matt getting sick in the night. 

Unfortunately, for a special that is themed around Shark Week, very little sharks were involved. The closest we came to getting any information about sharks was when the teams had to go into the water to catch some fish. Matt and Alex even encountered a few sharks that swam by peacefully but they decided to forego dinner because of the high presence of sharks. Certainly, this is a disappointing end to Shark Week and viewers agree.

One viewer tweeted, "Yawn .....disappointing way to end #SharkWeek2020 .....Discovery, do NOT do this again next year. @Discovery." Another wrote, "Why am I watching naked and afraid?? This show is utterly ridiculous." A viewer opined, "Yah. PASS I ain't watching that show. Regardless of having Sharks involved lol. My #SharkWeek ended for me yesterday #SharksRule #SharkLivesMatter." 

A viewer wrote, "Thumbs DOWN ..... Nix on this Naked and Afraid for #SharkWeek Very disappointing for the last evening. We know nothing will happen. I'm done." Another opined, "And no, I will not be watching Naked & Afraid of Sharks 2. I don’t have time for that nonsense either. #SharkWeek."

'Naked and Afraid of Sharks 2' aired on August 16 on Discovery Channel at 8/7c.