There’s a certain primal satisfaction in watching massive trees get wrestled to the ground. Discovery’s “The Last Woodsmen” understands this, delivering a second episode filled with enough chainsaws, heavy machinery, and near-misses to satisfy anyone’s inner lumberjack. “Broken Limbs” finds our intrepid woodsmen facing challenges both mechanical and arboreal.
Jared, seemingly possessed by the spirit of a high-stakes gambler, decides to resurrect two ancient pieces of logging equipment. These rusty relics, haven’t seen action in two decades. His logic? Fix them cheap, boost profits. The problem? Well, they’re rusty relics older than some viewers. The potential for catastrophic failure hangs heavy in the air, thicker than the exhaust fumes from these resurrected dinosaurs. Will Jared’s gamble turn into a windfall or a junkyard fire?
Meanwhile, Jim and Rob, the show’s resident old hands, draw the short straw (or perhaps the longest log). Their task: felling a cedar tree that looks like it could house a family of owls. This isn’t just any tree-takedown; it’s a delicate operation requiring precise cuts and a whole lot of praying the thing doesn’t decide to fall in the wrong direction.
“Broken Limbs” efficiently illustrates the brutal realities of making a living in the wilderness. It’s a world of constant equipment breakdowns, unpredictable weather, and the ever-present danger of working with nature’s skyscrapers. While the episode occasionally leans into familiar reality TV tropes—the ticking clock, the will-they-or-won’t-they succeed drama—it’s grounded by the genuine difficulty of the tasks at hand. There’s no manufactured drama here; the stakes are inherently high.
“The Last Woodsmen” airs Fridays at 9/8c on Discovery.
