As they close in on the one week mark, the survivalists make some risky choices in order to eat; serious infection becomes a very real possibility, driving one participant to consider pulling out early.

The remaining survivalists start seeing their hard work pay off as they procure food, but as the days mount and the isolation continues, contestants start to notice the physical and mental toll of surviving arctic.

The survivalists get serious about hunting before the wildlife starts to disappear for the winter; One participant has a chance to make history by taking down big game, while another is set back by a nasty puncture wound.

While most of the participants pursue smaller, more consistent food sources, one survivalist finally has the chance to take down big game; he soon finds himself attracting unwanted attention from predators.

As they approach the one month mark, the participants' survival is threatened by new factors. One contestant is forced to defend themselves from a huge predator. Another risks losing their shelter in a horrible accident. And another struggles with the most challenging element of them all: being totally alone.

As winter closes in, the participants are threatened by predators looking to steal their precious food stores. As the survivalists rethink their strategies, one makes a stand by confronting the Arctic's most ferocious creature.

The remaining survivalists begin feeling the effects of starvation. One participant fights to stay in the competition as her body starts to give out, while another, who has an abundance of food, shockingly continues to lose weight.

As the weather gets colder and even less forgiving, the participants struggle to obtain basic resources. One participant continues to lose weight at a rapid and deadly pace, while another continues to be harassed by ruthless predators. Another contestant wakes one morning to a grave discovery and realizes that the Arctic winter has only just begun.

As temperatures drop to the lowest point yet, the lake freezes, cutting off resources and threatening the safety of the survivalists. Each participant's grit and resourcefulness is tested by the unrelenting cold, causing one survivalist to hit their breaking point much sooner than expected.

The final three survivalists continue to battle weight loss, extreme temperatures, and predators to remain in the fight for the $500,000 prize. The punishing cold makes getting food harder than ever before and a devastating catastrophe causes one participant to lose everything. The remaining survivalists push on, but in the end, only one is able to conquer the Arctic and emerge victorious.