Extracted Debrief: Denver-Based Contestants Offer a Glimpse Behind the Scenes

Denver-based competitor Rose Hyak was hardly seen during the Extracted premiere. But in episode two of the new Fox reality show, she proved her abilities and evaded hypothermia in a risky survival challenge. However, cold temperatures, along with a lack of food and sleep, pushed Hyak to her breaking point. At the start of episode four, her teammates at headquarters — cousin Kelsey Nichols and aunt Laura Foster — decided to push the ominous red “extract” button and forgo the $250,000 grand prize.

Meanwhile, local viewers continued to root for Conifer-based survivalist Ryan Willis, who immediately stood out as a top-tier competitor. But in a shocking turn of events, he was extracted during the fifth episode that aired on Monday, March 10.

“I was just getting warmed up, man. I had water and food stashed everywhere. I was totally fine,” Ryan emphasized. But his wife, Sarah Thomas, and brother, Sean Willis, weren’t able to hack the cutthroat competition at headquarters. Though the Colorado teams had formed a friendly partnership, Thomas and Sean felt they had no further allies, as Ryan was regarded as too strong of a player.

“I need to be able to tell him that it almost feels, like, immoral to be part of something like this,” said Thomas who, alongside Sean, had the opportunity to write Ryan a letter. All other contestants did the same, but later learned that only half would be issued to their loved ones in the wilderness. When another team deemed Ryan’s letter as dispensable, tossing it into a bonfire, his family had had enough.

The Conifer contestants were unavailable for an interview. But we caught up with Hyak, Nichols and Foster for some behind-the-scenes insight.

Westword: Obviously, the show only offers a glimpse into your experience on Extracted. What did the pre-production process look like?

Laura Foster: [Nichols and I] were sequestered for two weeks in a hotel room by ourselves. Rose was sequestered alone by herself for two weeks, then was in the wild alone for basically another week — so it wasn't just six days.
Looking back, is there anything you wish you did differently?

Rose Hyak: Being alone really got to me. I remember at one point, I told myself, ‘You need to go to the water every day and just relax. Start your day off there and end your day off there.’ And when things got stressful, I kind of abandoned that idea. I wish I would have stuck with that better, or even just had little things in my back pocket to be more meditative and calm.

Foster: Rose was going through a lot of her own stuff that I was unaware of and I definitely would have played this game differently had I known what she was going through. I figured that Rose was going to last the entire time out there and nothing was going to affect her physically. I wasn't thinking of the mental part of the game. I feel like maybe if I knew what was going on, [I could have] gone another route.

Kelsey Nichols: One thing that I regret is being so anxious and letting all of the [other competitors’] emotions become my emotions while I was there. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I wish I enjoyed it more — but in the moment, it just felt very stressful.
What did you do with your downtime, if there was any?

Hyak: Once I got my tarp from the raft challenge, I really started to fine-tune my shelter and it was pretty good — like even when it rained, I didn't have any water come in. I built the bed, which was nice. Other times, I was trying to just collect berries. I ate a lot of berries.

Nichols: I'd say eighteen, nineteen hours a day, we were literally just staring at Rose and the other family members. But our downtime was an opportunity to be strategic. Even though we were so tired at the end of the day, we would hang out with the other families until like two in the morning, just because it was a great opportunity to align ourselves.

Foster: We averaged three, maybe four hours [of sleep].

Were there any key experiences that you wish the show had featured?

Hyak: Kind of funny, but I was lifting so many heavy logs and tree stumps and I was proud of myself for that. Before coming on to the show, I did a lot of functional fitness training and strength training. I used to be a cross-country track athlete in college, so it’s cool to see just how strong and capable I am now. Also, I was singing Chappell Roan songs the whole time, which was the best vibe and got me through.

Nichols: In headquarters, there were all of these books on survival skills — bushcraft skills, raft-building skills, archery, different types of knives. I probably wrote fifty sheets of paper [with] basic survival skills for Rose, just in the hopes that I would be able to give them to her at some point.

Foster: For me, just the closeness that we all experienced in HQ. Yes, it was a game of who can outlast, but we all got so close while we were there. We were fighting for our loved ones, but also rooting for everybody else. And I think that the three of us, we were already strong as a family, but I feel more connected with Rose and Kelsey because of this experience.

After Hyak was extracted, you all were shuttled to a hotel and spent a couple of days in British Columbia before returning to Denver. What was that journey like?

Foster: Kelsey and Rose wanted to go and explore and I was like, ‘Okay, I'm gonna put on my makeup and then I'll meet you.’ Well, I had no phone service and I had no idea where I was going. Of course, I got lost. I don't know how [they] found me and it was hours later.

Nichols: It was just this long, comedic chase of trying to find mom and having to think like mom.

Hyak: Kelsey and I were like, ‘Where would she go? She’d probably take this turn.’ So then we’d take it and that’s how we found [her]. Going back to Denver was a weird transition, but it was good. For me, the growth didn't stop once I got back. I feel like it started.

What are your key takeaways from your experience on Extracted?

Hyak: I enjoy being alone a lot more and I need silence and time by myself. I'm super grateful for Extracted because of that. If I ever get the opportunity to do any other type of game, I think I would do a lot better just because of the confidence and peace that I have within myself. I truly feel like a whole new person in the best way.