The "5" is for the part of the show illustrating the gold mining.If I was grading on the amateur acting of the Hoffman and Schnabel crews, it would be a fat zero.I do enjoy the Beets portions without criticism - honest workers, no drama.Schnabel - petulant spoiled brat, perpetual smirk on his face, an idiot that only looks successful due to the hard work of his employee - of which he is a real prick to every episode. What a goof! Shows like this has an audience not for the fake drama, but just to watch the machines working, illustrate repairs and improvisation, and the final product. It doesn't need anything else! Just like "Ax Men", another great show that the producers ruined by the fake drama, this series is also going to eventually fail, if they keep up with the soap opera scripts.EDIT/ADDED:I've just finished watching S08 ep 20, and have to amend my review.Todd and crew are pathetic, portray themselves as bumblers that have traveled North and South America mining for gold, and obviously don't have a clue about mining, nor understand the machines they use in the show. I see them as a bunch of aimless idiots!Tony Beets has joined in the soap opera scripts, it seems - behaving like a greedy a-hole that resents anyone else operating a mine to the point of sabotaging others' operations?! Yes, what he does, obstructing the lawful movement and development of another business is criminal, *and if this was real acts of interference* he would be arrested and lose all the rights to his claims - forbidden from mining, himself...but it's fake, so he continues to just behave like a goof for the cameras.Parker is still a tyrant brat that continues with his own fake crisis, fake feud with Beets, and fake drama.*All these lands are owned by the State/Province/country, and mining rights/prospecting rights are permitted by the grace of these government jurisdictions*. All the show characters are only temporary guests of the land.With contempt toward the show producers, that have lost focus on the gold mining, I've reduced the five-stars to a one...because zeroes aren't permitted. This show is starting to bore the hell out of me!

As a show, it's like most of this channels slop, somewhat watchable. What's with them having to use the F word every time they open their mouth? What is totally unwatchable is that so much energy (fuel & human) is wasted to destroy the earth and create pollution for several pounds of gold. I find it especially sad that the crew run by serious dolts, the Hoffmans, pray to God to help them make a bigger mess each day.The Discovery Channel should do a show on the impact of mining of the gold as compared to the benefit. Of course the folks who like this slop wouldn't be interested in learning anything. They should investigate why mining is excluded from laws that most activities would never be allowed to do.

I spent 54 years as a journeyman truck-and heavy-equipment mechanic, often working through the night by myself a long way away from any help. I am amazed when I see things such as equipment operating for long periods without a sign of a grease gun or any maintenance at all! A season or two ago, an excavator chewed up a final and Jack took it apart, and it was obvious that it was bone-dry without lube- no wonder! Does anyone there ever check fluid-levels or grease anything? They seem to just jump in and go to work! I don't see them winterize anything, yet they come back the next year and wouldn't you know? It fires right up, and again they go right to work with it! Amazing equipment, huh? This year Todd and Jack take over an existing claim, and wouldn't ya know? Somebody left equipment there! Another miracle- the batteries are hot, the stuff starts right up without anyone checking a thing. Hells' bells, the Teletubbies have more smarts! I have to add one more thing... the narrator has a death-wish outlook! If something minor happens, suddenly we're told "If they can't fix it, all will be lost!" C'mon, get real. Take care of it and keep going.

I with no doubt say that this is a good TV show. Maybe the story-line isn't nothing new to people but it's really interesting to watch and I completed the whole season in just two evenings. The camera crew had done a really great job. The filming was creative and I always like to think how it is for them. This TV show actually gave me a few life lessons and I bet that to the crew - even more. Things don't go always the way you want them to go. In this case they faced like tons of problems but they're spirit was unbreakable and the mechanic - amazing. Some may say that Todd's leader skills are poor and that they make some silly rookie mistakes. But, people, don't forget that they are kinda desperate in the situation they are and overall just six "average Joe's" When I watched the last episode I saw that they have really fell in love with gold mining and they wont stop. I think that this adventure has changed their lives. And that is what I love the most about this series - making the dream come true from scratch, facing problems and solving them, filming and simply just seeing the gold.After watching the last episode I had only one thought stuck in my mind - When is the second season on air?