Discuss the premiere of Kid Nation: What did you think?

Week #1: Arrival in Bonanza City, Getting Settled

Overview of what happened this week: The kids arrived on a school bus and were dropped in the middle of nowhere, about 3 miles from the town that will be their new home for the next 40 days. They are greeted by Jonathan Tarsh, a Jeff-Probst like figure who guides the kids through the episodes (and the only adult they have contact with). A helicopter arrives carrying the first members of the Town Council: Mike, a Boy Scout; Taylor, a pageant queen; Anjay, a spelling bee champion, and Laurel, a natural leader and oldest of the group.

They then are instructed to push wagons with provisions all the way into town, which is hot and thirsty work.

How's the food this week?
Well, the first attempt at macaroni and cheese was a pasty sticky disaster, stewing ominously in the tall black pot.

The lowdown on the showdown: Collecting colored water that the teams had to pipe out of the ground, then carrying their huge pump across the finish line.


How'd it shake out?

Red: Upper Class. They get paid $1 each.
Blue: Merchant Class. They get paid .50 cents each
Yellow: Cooks. They get paid 25 cents each
Green: Laborers. They get paid 10 cents each.

Town reward: Choice between 7 more outhouses or a television they can watch whenever they want. It's up to the Town Council to decide... Weighing the choice: TV could be a distraction, people will sit around and watch it. Opted for the outhouses, so now they don't have to wait in line anymore. "Yea, it really hurts your colon. A lot."

Sophia dances for change and gets enough to buy a bicycle at the store.


Town Council:
A forum to discuss issues, i.e. who's going to wash the dishes? How is the council doing?

Who is considering going home:
Taylor had a rough start, even though she was on the original Council, but turned around and opted not to after making great strides in confidence.

Jimmy: Sweet kid, one of the youngest at age 8, was just too homesick so opted to go home. "I think I'm just too young. It's scary." He looked really relieved to be heading home to his parents.

Who gets the gold star?
Sophia and Michael are in the running: Sophia for her cooking and leadership skills, and Michael for his inspirational speech on the first day. Eventually given to Sophia, who is gracious in her acceptance but loses her composure her bit when she learns it's worth $20,000. She also wins access to a phone so she can call her parents.

Kids say the darndest things:

"I'm so starved I could eat off my own leg." --Jared

"I'm a beauty queen, I don't do dishes." --Taylor

"This is a total kid nation. There's no president Bush, there's nothing."

"This is soap, not butter!" --one of the kids, trying to help with the cooking.