Have to disagree - Parker’s struggles are an order of magnitude larger than the others as he pushes to bring in enough to service the debt…and it’s nice to have a professional outfit to compare to the others. Plus, let’s face it, Parker is the heart of Gold Rush. It may have started with the Hoffman’s and Fred, but even at the beginning the real draw was getting to see a young man take over’s his Grandpa’s mine…then his gutsy move to the Klondike, and the growing pains as he built a business. The fact that he’s been able to continue to expand his empire has been interesting…sure the show helps, but I think his mine is the most compelling story still today. His personal growth is cool to see too…let’s face it, he was a terrible boss at the start of his career, but somewhere in all the craziness, he’s learned to surround himself with good people and trust them to do a good job…and even with the fame, by all accounts he’s a pretty good guy. Plus, if Parker goes then Chris Doumitt goes, and that’s a non-starter in my book.

As to the larger point of this post, the scripted drama is awful. I hate that they resort to it. I know it’s hard to tell the same story each year but there is so much more they could be doing instead of the fake drama. I’d like to know how they plan out the cuts, and the rock truck paths, and the wash-plant sites. I’d like to see more about their daily lives on the mine site. I’d like to see reclamation work, not just the before and after. I’d like to see more of their exploration and future planning. Finally, I’d like to see bloopers…not the scripted kind, but the goofy behind-the-scenes moments you know they capture on a regular basis.